Snake Eyes
by Tainted Tears
Summary: [INCOMPLETE] In 1942 it was Tom Riddle’s fifth year at Hogwarts. It was also the year that the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time. Many students who have known him for the past years are noticing strange things happening in the school.
1. Meetings & Recollections

**Title: **Snake Eyes

**Author: **Crystal Charmer

**Genre: **Drama/Horror

**Rating: **PG-13

**Warnings: **Some violence, some mild language, some self-harm

**Summary: **In 1942 it was Tom Riddle's fifth year at Hogwarts. It was also the year that the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time. Many students who have known him for the past years are noticing strange things happening in the school.

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The characters Princesa Ozean, Loretta Ozean, Adam Ozean, Esterella Jewell, Lucy Jewell, Janet Jewell, Olivia Lonton and Georgina belong to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 1 – Meetings & Recollections **

_September 7th, 1942_

The Great Hall was bustling with excited voices and eager whispers as the students of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry were pleased to be back. Their first week had been done with, and they had all settled into their lessons and were ready to start learning again after a long summer break.

The Ravenclaw table was filled again, many new arrivals after the Sorting Hat ceremony. They were all tucking into their breakfasts, laughing and talking contently.

One of the students at the Ravenclaw table was a young fifth year girl by the name of Princesa Ozean. She was certainly glad to be keeping up with her magical skills at last, after being at home for so many weeks. Life at home was rather difficult for her, as her parents were very strict and dignified, especially her mother. Since being a Muggle-born, her family didn't exactly appreciate the idea of their daughter studying magic at first, but they had soon warmed to it eventually.

Her mother, Loretta, was stately in her own right, as she was of Spanish blood and had been born in the country. She had emigrated to England due to marrying her British husband, Adam Ozean, and they had settled down and had a baby daughter sometime later. They were very proud of Princesa because she was very intelligent and pretty, with her mother's long auburn hair that hung to her waist, and her piercing icy blue eyes. Despite this, Loretta still thought that her daughter wasn't as attractive as she would have liked her to be.

Princesa had to deal with this flaw whenever her mother brought it up, just like she had the day before she left for her fifth year at Hogwarts:

-oOo-

_August 31st, 1942_

"_¡Prisa para arriba_, Princesa!" Loretta shouted impatiently, making her way over to platform 9 ¾, dragging her husband by the collar of his shirt and glancing behind at her daughter. "You are going to miss the train!"

The young student grunted as she pushed her trolley forward that was carrying her trunk, with her brown barn owl Opal in a small cage that she was holding in one hand. The bird was fast asleep, her head tucked beneath her feathery wing.

"Coming, _momia_!" she called out, glancing nervously at the clock above the platforms. It read 10:35am. That meant that the train for Hogwarts would leave in twenty-five minutes. She blew a piece of her red hair out of her eyes.

"Now remember, _amor," _Loretta told her, finally letting go of her husband to give him chance to breathe before he choked, "Feel free to write home to us anytime, just send your owl with a message. We want to know everything exciting that happens to you." She beamed at her.

Princesa smiled. "I will."

Adam drew his daughter into a tight hug, causing her to almost drop Opal's cage. Her father was rather strong. "Enjoy yourself," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek and grinning at her with his green eyes. "We'll look forward to you at Christmas break." His long black hair hung untidily in places.

Loretta sighed and caressed her thumb over Princesa's cheek. "_Oh, mi pequeña muchacha_," she murmured, a hint of regret in her voice. "You are growing up so fast. Soon you will be beautiful and elegant and you shall find the _hombre _of your dreams."

The girl's eyes seemed to flicker a little with sadness at these words, but she offered Loretta a weak smile anyway. Her mother was always telling her that she wasn't beautiful. Why couldn't she just appreciate her for who she was?

Adam glared at his wife and mouthed: 'Take no notice' to Princesa.

"Oy! Princesa!" a familiar voice suddenly cried out, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps and the clank of rolling trolley wheels. "Wait! Wait for me!"

Princesa turned and laughed when she saw her best friend Esterella Jewell running along the platform to catch up, her short blonde hair flapping in the wind. Her flushed face shone with amusement as her trolley almost wheeled out of control and she managed to pull it to a halt, inches away from Loretta's foot.

"Hi!" she greeted in an exasperated gasp, her blue eyes smiling. "Caught you just in time!" She giggled as she wrapped her arms around her friend in an embrace. "God, I can't _wait _to be starting Hogwarts again! Thanks for visiting me over the summer! If it wasn't for you and Rosa then I would have _died _having to be stuck with Lucy all the time!"

Loretta's neatly plucked eyebrow shot up a little. Esterella was a little too loud for her liking, very bold and unafraid to speak her mind. The girl had only her mother to look after her and her younger sister after their father had died a few years ago.

Princesa smirked as she hugged her friend. "You're welcome. It was fun. Is Lucy ready for her second year?" She sighed a little enviously. All of her life she had never wanted to be an only child. She had always liked the idea of having a brother or sister.

"Yeah, she is," Esterella groaned as she whirled around to stare at her sister, who was hurrying to keep up, closely followed by Janet Jewell, their mother, who almost tripped as she sprinted along the stand to say goodbye to her children. "She's been annoying us so much – she wanted something new of _everything!" _

"I'm ready – I'm ready!" Lucy squealed as she skidded to a stop, pieces of her long golden hair hanging over her face, causing her to look quite comical. "I'm ready for the train!"

"It doesn't look like the train's quite ready for _you," _Esterella chuckled as she stared at her untidy sibling, and helpfully brushed her hair back over her shoulders.

Lucy frowned, her muddy brown eyes sparkling. "Oh, aren't you the riot?"

"Lucy! Essie!" Janet called out as she made her way over to them, managing to slow down a little so she could catch her breath. "Oh, there you are. Right, you know what to do, and please don't try to attract too much attention because the Muggles might – "

It was at this moment that she spotted the Ozeans standing on the platform as well. Princesa waved at her. "Hello, Mrs Jewell!"

"Oh, hello, Princesa!" Janet greeted, tossing her long copper hair behind her shoulders and straightening out her jacket. "It was lovely to see you over the summer. Are you looking forward to another year? I know that Essie is." She ran her fingers through her daughter's hair playfully at this. "It's all she's been talking about, she's especially looking forward to the Yule Ball this year!"

"Mum!" Esterella moaned, her cheeks turning pink.

"Yule Ball?" Loretta repeated, sounding rather interested. She turned to Princesa. "Honey, you did not mention anything about a Yule Ball!"

Princesa's gaze flew down to her hands, feeling her own face turn hot. "Oh, well...I..." she mumbled uncomfortably, but Lucy answered for her.

"Yeah, she's been preparing for it! Whilst she stayed with us then she bought dress robes, shoes – _everything! _She's really looking forward to it! Aren't you, Princesa?" she asked, staring at the blushing girl and wondering why she was acting so coy.

Princesa nodded a little, still keeping her eyes on her shoes. "Erm...yes – yes...I am."

"Well, why did you not say anything, _amor_?" Loretta hooted, stroking her daughter's shoulder with a huge grin. "_¡Oh, maravilloso! _I can remember my first ball! It was so very beautiful! My gown was like a river of silver lights and sparkling pearls! Oh, how I adore a ball – !"

Adam cleared his throat sharply. "Darling, I – "

"How excited you must be!" Loretta exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air dramatically and bringing her daughter's cheeks to an even darker shade of crimson. "You must tell me all about it! I cannot believe that you did not tell me about it before! I – "

"I'm going to miss the train, _momia_!" Princesa wailed, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. "We have to be there in fifteen minutes!"

After many farewells and a few more hugs, the girls departed from the platform and passed through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, leaving their parents behind and ready for another year. They made their way towards the smoking Hogwarts Express, pushing their trolleys in front of them.

Esterella shot her friend a sideways look. "Wow, what was _that _all about?"

Princesa sighed, her face rather miserable. "Did you see how my mum reacted? She went into a huge big story all about _her. _It's _my _Yule Ball and all she wants to talk about is how beautiful _she _looked, and how wonderful _her _ball was." She stared at her feet. "She didn't talk about the dress I bought or anything...just her."

Lucy bit her lip in sympathy.

"It's ok," Esterella said finally, putting her arm around Princesa's shoulders. "You don't have to think about that anymore. Just look forward to _your _ball. You'll enjoy it." She smiled at her.

Princesa grinned back at her, the corners of her mouth touched by her friend's kind words. "Thanks. You're right, I _will _enjoy it. I'm going to enjoy the whole year."

-oOo-

As she tucked into her breakfast of sausages and eggs, Princesa glanced up when she saw Esterella join her side at the Ravenclaw table, dressed in her robes, but her eyelids sagged as if they had weights attached to the end of them.

Princesa sniggered. "Good sleep?"

"No," Esterella groaned, rubbing her eyes and reaching for pieces of bacon. "I'd forgotten how badly that Olivia snores. How do her parents put up with her at home? She sounds as if she's got a dying chicken stuck in her throat."

Princesa almost choked on her pumpkin juice. Olivia Lonton was one of the Ravenclaw girls that shared their dorm upstairs, and was a half-blood. She had messy brown hair and deep grey eyes that could fire up like dark clouds in a thunderstorm when she lost her temper. She also had a lisp, which caused her to sound hilarious when she spoke, but she wasn't the world's lightest sleeper.

"God, Essie," laughed Princesa.

"It's true!" Esterella snapped, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Try sleeping in the bed next to her! I think I only got at least four hours of sleep last night." She grabbed two slices of toast and began to butter them furiously. "Maybe tonight I could just stick a few corks up her nose," she added with an evil smile.

"Oh, don't," Princesa chuckled. "Just leave her, it's not her fault."

"Don't worry," smirked the Ravenclaw, still wearing her wicked grin. "I'll find _some_way to keep her quiet. Perhaps a small charm might – "

Princesa eyes flew open in amusement. "Oh, don't you _dare_!" she scolded, flinging a sausage at her. "I know you! Don't even think about it!"

"Hello!" came a cheerful voice, and little Lucy sat down next to her sister, looking bright with a good-natured beam on her face. "Don't even think about what?" she added, staring at Princesa.

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Well, _you _certainly look effervescent this morning!" she remarked, looking at the young second year.

Lucy's expression went blank. "Err...thanks, I think." She reached over and grabbed a cup of pumpkin juice, slowly drinking it.

Esterella shot her sister a sour look. "Yeah, well, it's all right for some. At least you didn't have a honking whale next to your bed the whole night!"

Lucy took a good look at Esterella's face before going back to her drink. "You look tired."

"You don't say?"

"What classes do you have today, Lucy?" asked Princesa quickly, changing the subject before things suddenly decided to get ugly.

"Oh, erm..." Lucy put her pitcher down and began to rummage through her satchel, searching for her timetable. She put several small pieces of paper and ink blotted sheets onto the table as she scrambled through the mess.

Esterella frowned. "I don't believe you, Lucy! You've only been here a week and _already _your bag is a state! God, you're so disorganised!" She turned away in disgust.

"Shut up!" retorted the girl, her cheekbones tinting with a little colour. "We can't all be as tidy as _you! _I know it's in here somewhere, just give me a minute!" She continued to plumage through her books and parchment until she finally gave a shout, and placed her crumpled timetable onto the table. "There."

Esterella sneered at it, her frown returning. "Urgh...it's got yellow stuff on it!" she proclaimed with a revolted gasp, slightly pushing it away with the tip of her finger as if it were toxic. "What _is _that – _ewww, _it's _moving!" _She slid on the bench further over to Princesa and almost shoved her off the edge.

"It's not moving, stupid!" Lucy protested back, desperately trying to scrape it off with another crumpled piece of parchment. "Georgina spilt her pudding on it last night at tea! It's just...gotten really hard." She poked at it.

"Give it here," Princesa broke in, picking up the soiled paper and holding it up to her face, her blue eyes squinted. "Oh, well, at least you can still read what it says. You've got Charms first, Lucy."

"Oh," Lucy moaned, sounding disappointed. "I hate Charms."

"Tough," Esterella sang as she grabbed back her sister's timetable and flicked it next to her, wiping her hands on her robe, looking slightly sick. "Oh, Lucy – _please _do something about that timetable! Redraw it or something!"

Lucy scowled. "No! It'll take too long!" She snatched it back and stuffed it away once again.

"At least after the first few weeks you won't need it anymore," Princesa brought up, moping up the grease on her plate with a piece of bread. "You'll memorise it and then you won't need to – "

"Hey, what's that?" Esterella suddenly asked with interest, scraping up a piece of creased parchment that her sister had left on the table, staring at the messy writing on it.

Lucy's brown eyes widened in panic and her small mouth fell open. "No, Essie – give that back!" She lunged for it but it was pulled back out of her reach. "You can't look at that! Give me it _back_!"

"Why, what is it?" laughed Esterella, trying to get a look at it as she struggled to keep it from Lucy's grasping fingers.

"Don't!" whined Lucy, the frustration clear in her voice. "Essie, _please_! Please, don't!"

However, before Esterella could have a chance to read it, Princesa, who glared at her friend with an angry frown, snatched it out of her hands. "Don't be so mean to her!" she told her, handing it back to Lucy.

"Hey!" shouted Esterella, glowering incredulously at her friend. "What do you think you're doing? I'm only teasing her! Stop acting like a – !"

"You wouldn't like it if she were doing that to you! What if she _wants _to have something private?" the Ravenclaw yelled back, getting to her feet.

"How would _you _know!" Esterella spat back at her. "Maybe if you had any brothers or sisters you would know a thing or two about privacy!"

Princesa's rage suddenly flickered, and a hurt look crossed her face.

"I'm sorry," Esterella quickly apologised, all of the rage draining from her face. "I'm sorry, Princesa, I didn't mean to say that, I didn't know...I-I didn't think – "

"You never _do _think, do you?" Princesa gasped, feeling tears fill her eyes. "You always do this, Essie! You always say things without thinking, and you always hurt me!" With a tiny sob, she scrambled out from the bench and walked quickly out of the Great Hall, trying to avoid looking at anyone.

"I didn't mean it!" Esterella called after her, rising from the table, meaning to go after her. "Princesa, please! I didn't mean it!"

Lucy looked down at the piece of crumpled parchment in her hands guiltily. "Sorry," she whispered, beginning to put it back in her bag.

With a sigh, Esterella sat back down, eating the last slice of her toast. "It's ok," she told her sister gently, her voice rather ashamed. "She's like this sometimes. She'll be fine, I'll just finish this and then I'll go see how she is."

"Do you know where she'll be?"

"Yeah, she's probably gone back to the dorm or something, just to calm down." She looked at her. "I'm really sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to do that to you, I was just messing about."

Lucy shrugged with a weak smile. "Don't worry about it," she said. "But next time please ask me before you do that, show me some respect."

Esterella nodded slowly, Princesa's last words to her still ringing in her head. She stared at Lucy again. "Was she right?" she asked her quietly. "Do I do that, Luce? Do I say things without thinking?"

Her sister thought about it – for what Esterella considered was a long time – with a concentrated expression, before shaking her head a little. "No, of course not," she finally muttered, but she wouldn't look at the fifth year.

Esterella sighed miserably, picking at her bread with her fork. "Right," she uttered, almost to herself. She didn't think that anyone had heard her.

-oOo-

Spanish Dictionary

**_¡Prisa para arriba_: **Hurry up

**_momia_: **mum

**_amor_: **love

**_Oh, mi pequeña muchacha_: **Oh, my little girl

**_hombre_: **man

**_¡Oh, maravilloso!_: **Oh, wonderful!


	2. Keeping Secrets

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The characters Fortunata Flatterwock, Rosa Bishop, Danielle Barnes, Frances Bishop, Neil Bishop, Scott Bishop, Sheila Barnes, Deborah Hart, Richard Prewett, Regen Powis, Jess Duisternis and Drew Trocken belong to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 2 – Keeping Secrets**

Getting up from the Slytherin table, he scooped up his History of Magic books and began to make his way out of the Great Hall to the classroom. Secretly he was dreading this lesson, as it bored him to tears. However, he was one of the star students of that subject, so it wouldn't be wise to earn some extra sleep, even though the idea was very tempting.

He was just about to turn into the corridors when he heard a sound coming from a dark corner, sounding echoed and faint as it reflected off the walls, but there was no mistaking what it was.

It was someone crying; and from the sound of it, it was a girl.

Frowning, he wandered over to the shadowed crook where the sobbing was coming from, peering in and seeing a fifth year student, about the same age as him, squatting against the wall with her head buried in her hands.

"Why are you crying?" he asked her curiously, stepping closer.

She quickly darted her head up, tears still running down her cheeks. Her pale blue eyes lit up despite the darkness as she stared at him in shock. "What? Who...I mean – " she stammered as she gazed back at him.

He sighed patiently. "I said, why are you crying?" he repeated, although this time his tone was a little kinder. "Are you all right?"

She sniffed, rubbing her wet eyelids with the back of her hand. Her sight suddenly fixated on the floor as she shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "Yes, I'm fine," she murmured bitterly. "I'll be just fine."

"Liar," he chuckled teasingly, a small grin forming across his face. "Come on, you can tell me. I won't mind."

This time, instead of replying, the girl stood on her feet and stepped out of the shadows, picking up her bag from the floor and whirling around, beginning to storm down the corridor. "Well, _you_ would be like this as well if you were me!" she choked.

"Wait!" he called out, taking off after her and managing to catch up, grasping hold of the sleeve of her robes gently. "Don't walk away like that! It can't be _that_ terrible, can it?"

She spun on her heel, eventually looking straight at him. It was then that he saw her face properly. Her long, dark auburn hair shaped her face delicately, and flowed over her shoulders, almost covering her Ravenclaw badge on her robes. Her eyes were like ice tinted with sapphire, rimmed with crimson, and her pale face was streaked with tears.

"Obviously, it _can_," he added in a hush, travelling his gaze over her miserable expression and her depressed eyes. "Are you _sure _you're all right? You look really upset – "

"Well, I _am_!" she hiccupped, brushing her hair away from her damp face. "It's only my first week back here, and she's starting on me _already_!"

He darted his eyes around, finally resting them on her. "Who is?"

"Essie, my friend," she explained, adjusting the strap over her shoulder and staring at the ground. "She doesn't mean it, but...somehow manages to say things that really hurt me. I wish she would just think about what she wants to say before she says it."

He nodded understandably. "Yeah, I know the type." A small smile broke out across his face and he held out his hand to her in a friendly gesture. "I'm Tom Riddle," he introduced. "Slytherin."

Hearing his words, she suddenly realised what he had just said. Her eyes fixed onto him, looking up and down at his thick ebony hair, his muddy green eyes and his Slytherin robes, a silver prefect badge also gleaming from the inside of the black uniform. She opened her mouth to say something, but found that all words were lost. Her hand didn't move.

He raised an eyebrow. "And you are...?"

"Oh, sorry!" She tossed her hair behind her shoulders and shook his hand, her cheeks turning scarlet from embarrassment. "I'm Princesa Ozean, I'm in Ravenclaw," she replied, attempting to beam behind her tears.

"Yes, I noticed," he said, pointing to her crest on the corner of her robes, showing the symbol of a blue and silver logo with a bronze eagle in the centre. "Princesa Ozean, hmm?" he smiled. "I'll have to remember that one. Rather an unusual name..."

She laughed. "It's not British, if that's what you mean. It's from my mother's side of the family, you see...she's Spanish, she wanted me to have a name from her country." She glanced away, slightly feeling that she was saying too much. "It, erm...it means 'Princess'."

Tom smirked, raising his eyes to the ceiling and then back down again. "Well, I'd almost guessed that," he chuckled, not moving his eyes from hers. Then he looked suspicious. "Why did you look so surprised when I told you my name?"

"Oh," Princesa said, biting her lip. "It's just...I mean, it's something that I've thought to myself all year – not just from what others say but from encounters and such, that...well, I mean, when you told me you were in Slytherin, I just...I don't know, thought that you were just like the others – I didn't mean any offence!" she added quickly, noticing the look of disbelief on the boy's face.

He rolled his eyes. "Ah, I see," he muttered, looking rather solemn. "And what made you think that _all _Slytherin's are as awful as you claim them to be?"

"Well," she stumbled, feeling even more uncomfortable now that she had annoyed him. "You remember my friend whom I was telling you about? Essie? Well...she has a grudge against all Slytherin's really, she always has, ever since her first year, and...well, I have too really, because I've grown up noticing the way they behave, and..." she trailed off.

He scoffed. "She sounds like a fan_tas_tic friend," he grumbled sarcastically.

"What do you mean?"

"She tells you her view that all Slytherin's are nothing but trouble, yet here I am, living evidence that she's wrong," he pointed out, a dark frown seeming to cloud his brow. "And wasn't she the one that made you cry? What did she _say _to you, exactly?"

"Nothing," Princesa murmured inaudibly, twiddling her fingers.

"It must have been _something _if she made you as upset as you were," he replied sensibly.

She moaned in defeat. "Oh, all right – I'll _tell _you," she snapped. "If you _must _know, she said some rather horrible things, including the fact that she shot my family back in my face, I mean..._I _can't help it if I'm an only child! It's not _my _fault, and she _knows _that I've always envied her for having a sister, and yet whenever we argue she throws _that _trollop in my face!"

He blinked. "Oh, right."

"Sorry," she apologised, struggling to calm herself down. "I mean, why would she do that? If she knows how much it upsets me, why the hell does she keep bringing it _up_?"

He shrugged, suddenly getting a mysterious mask flow across his face. "Some people can be like that sometimes. Trust me, I know _exactly _how you feel." A small breeze blew through the hallway, creating a sudden chill. Princesa noticed how his eyes seemed to portray a little pain when he said that sentence.

"Yeah," she whispered slowly, feeling rather sorry for him. _He looks like he's had problems too, _she thought. She was about to say something encouraging to him when the bell suddenly sounded around the school, announcing the start of their first lesson.

"Well, I'd better head off to History of Magic," declared Tom, holding his books close to his side with a tiny smile. "I don't want to be late."

She nodded, adjusting her bag to her shoulder with a shrug. "Me neither," she replied, returning his grin. "I've got Divination. I heard that if you're late this year then Professor Flatterwock puts a curse on you that glues your hands to your chair, so you have to sit on them all through the lesson!"

Tom chuckled. "Divination, consider yourself lucky. It has to be a lot more interesting than a class with Professor Binns." He groaned in boredom.

She giggled. "I can imagine!" Then, holding the strap of her bag to her arm, she beamed at him, her cheeks rosy. "It was nice meeting you, Tom," she said politely. "I'll see you later, maybe?"

"Yes, of course," he answered with a sly smirk, the mysterious glaze crossing over his face once again. "If you can find me." With that, he strolled past her and turned the corner, disappearing into the school's haunting corridors.

-oOo-

All of the fifth year students for their Divination class began to take their seats. A few Ravenclaws had arrived, as well as a few Gryffindors, whom they were taking the lesson with today. They found vacant chairs and began chatting to one another, waiting for the other students and Professor Flatterwock to arrive.

Esterella was already there, her space empty next to her. Sitting on the bench in front were Rosa Bishop, the girl whom she had spent the summer with (as well as Princesa), and Danielle Barnes, another one of her close friends whom she had known since her second year. Both girls were in Ravenclaw as well.

Esterella poked Rosa in the back with her index finger. "Oy!" she whispered.

"Ow!" Rosa cried out, turning around with an infuriated frown. "_What_!"

"Where's Princesa?" Esterella practically demanded, her face impatient.

The Ravenclaw threw her a dirty look. "I don't _know, _Essie," she retorted, spinning around in her seat again to face her crystal ball, staring intently into it. "Stop asking me!"

Rosa had been friends with Esterella and Princesa for a long time, getting to know them on the first day at Hogwarts. She was a Half-blood, as her mother, Frances Bishop, was a witch, and her father, Neil, was a Muggle. She also had an elder brother, Scott, who was a Gryffindor and was in his final year at the school. Rosa was very amiable and easy to talk to, with her friendly dark brown eyes and kind voice.

Since her second year, Danielle had been a wonderful companion to Esterella, especially when she had been going through rough times. Danielle was very sensible and empathetic, and often acted like a mother figure for her friends. She was a Half-blood as well, like Rosa, but her father had died last year, affecting her greatly, and all she had left in the world was her witch mother, Sheila. She had rather messy chestnut hair that fell to her back, and blue eyes that seemed to offer shades of comfort in times of dire need.

"That's the fourth time you've asked us, Essie," said Danielle, now facing her friend who was chewing her nail anxiously. "Where is she? I thought she was walking with you."

"So did I," mumbled Esterella, suddenly turning quite guilty. "But...well, we had a bit of a quarrel, and she stormed away from me. I tried to look for her, but couldn't find her anywhere."

Rosa slammed her head on the desk. "Oh, God, not _another _fight," she groaned.

"I'm sorry!" protested the girl in a shrill voice. "I honestly didn't mean to make her angry! You know what I'm like! Sometimes I just blurt out these things, and I don't mean them! I told her I was sorry...now she'll be cross with me for days." She slumped in her seat, pouting.

Just at that minute, they all looked up to see Princesa jog into the room, her auburn hair flying behind her as she stumbled in her seat next to Princesa, panting. "Hi!" she greeted, smiling at Rosa and Danielle. "Sorry, I got distracted." She placed her bag on the table and slid into her seat next to Esterella, without glancing at her.

The Ravenclaw leaned over to her friend, determined to clear things up once and for all. "Look," she started, as Princesa slammed her Divination books on the wooden desk and suddenly became interested in her tea leaves. "I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean to say that, Princesa. I was just angry...I was only playing about with Lucy, teasing her and...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say what I said – _please _look at me!" she added in a desperate tone, as the girl's response was to imagine that she was invisible.

Princesa only glared at her. "Oh, I'm sorry," she hissed. "Perhaps you realise now what it feels like to have your feelings hurt."

"My feelings aren't hurt!" Esterella retorted in confusion, laying her inky quill on the desk. "I'm not upset at all, I'm just _trying _to apologise to you! I said I was sorry, what _more _do you want!" Her temper was beginning to rise to boiling point again. She could feel blood pounding in her ears.

Princesa rolled her eyes and scoffed bitterly. "Oh, so you're _not _upset? Well, let me tell you something, if I were in _your _place then at least I would have the decency to be at least a _little _upset! I mean if you hadn't – !"

"Will you two _please _shut up!" Deborah Hart, a Gryffindor, growled, scraping the legs of her chair against the floor as she whirled around furiously, her face ablaze with frustration. "You're starting to drive me up the wall with your little argument!"

Esterella was just about to holler back a rude remark when the door creaked open, and Professor Flatterwock entered, brushing her jade green robes out from under her feet and brushing up her waist-length sleeves. "Quiet, please, class," she announced in her silvery, stern voice. "Please take out your wands and turn to page one hundred and three in your books."

Everyone snatched out their wands from the hems of their uniforms and laid them next to their inkwells and parchment, and eagerly flicked through to the correct page that was being asked for. They all respected Fortunata Flatterwock, with her mysterious, elegant nature and her enthusiasm towards the student's learning. She was also ethereally beautiful, with her long, silver hair and her twinkling grey eyes that seemed to shine despite their steely colour.

"Today, class," she announced, drawing a few little symbols on the board neatly. "We're going to be revising over a few things that we've covered last year, as I'm sure you would all wish to be fully prepared for your O.W.L.S that are coming up, am I right?"

A few groans and nods were her reply.

A tweak of a smile grazed her lips. "I thought as much." She ran her finger down a few lines of writing in her lesson book and looked up towards the students sitting in the class. "We shall start off with an easy question: who can tell me what three star signs are associated with the element air?"

A moment of silence occurred before a boy in Gryffindor with thick, shoulder-length brown hair raised his hand.

Flatterwock darted her eyes onto him, like an eagle spotting her prey. "Yes, Richard?"

"They are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius," Richard stated clearly, his dark green eyes firmly focused on the teacher as he gave his answer.

With a nod of her head, Professor Flatterwock continued: "Well done, Mr Prewett, ten points to Gryffindor house. Now, can anyone tell me the three star signs that are associated with fire?"

This time, it was Esterella's turn to shoot her hand up in to the air. If there was any creature that she loved more than any other in the world, it was the dragon, so she was incredibly interested in the fire element. She knew almost everything about them. "Aries, Leo and Sagittarius," she answered, with a tiny grin of satisfaction.

"Very good, Miss Jewell! Ten points to Ravenclaw!"

Richard turned around from his desk and glanced over at Esterella with a smile of congratulation on his friendly face. Esterella beamed back, her cheeks flushing a little.

"Now," went on Flatterwock, clapping her hands together. "Who can name the – "

She was suddenly cut short by the door being shoved open abruptly, and a fifth year boy entered, grasping his books that were almost slipping from his fingers. His chestnut hair was lightly messy, and the shoulder of his robe was pulled down and hanging there. He gave the teacher a sorry look with his light brown eyes as he caught his breath again.

"Mr Powis, you're late for the class," said Flatterwock in a stern voice, her eyes boring through him.

"I'm sorry, Professor," he apologised, tidying his hair a little, noticing that a few students in the class were sniggering at him behind their books. "I-I was sidetracked. It won't happen again."

She raised her eyebrows and drummed her fingers on the desk impatiently. "I would hope not," she muttered in an icy tone, picking up her quill and writing something onto a piece of parchment. "I'm afraid I will have to deduct two house points from Ravenclaw house for your lack of punctuality. Please take your seat."

With a sigh of indignation, the boy slumped into his seat with an exasperated look on his face. He felt the sudden urge to knock his tea leaf mug over but fought it back, instead clenching his teeth and murmuring the word: 'Damn,' under his breath.

With their noses bent in books and quills fervently scratching away on parchment, the class poured over their studies and crammed in information that would be vital for their exams in the months to come.

Danielle prodded the late arrival across her desk with an incensed glare on her face. "So, Regen," she began coldly. "Where have you been exactly?"

Regen cupped his forehead in his palm. "Sorry, I had problems."

Rosa frowned. "Problems?"

"Jess Duisternis!" Regen declared, raising his hands in mock surprise, dropping his quill onto his parchment and leaving a giant blob. "I don't see what she _gets _from what she does! Once she blocks you in the corridor it would take a _spear _to get her out of the way! In fact," he added with noticeable zest, "Make that _ten _spears. She might recover."

Esterella shrugged. "_I_ don't see what's so wrong with her, for a Slytherin, she's not so bad."

Princesa shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Not so _bad?" _came the voice of Drew Trocken, the Ravenclaw boy who was sitting next to Regen. "Yeah, that's easy for _you _to say – you're a _girl!" _He raked his fingers through his thick, red hair and made the impression he was gouging his eyes out.

Jess Duisternis was a Slytherin fifth year who loved to tease with the boys in her year, especially if they weren't in her house. She had long, curly burgundy locks that flowed down to her shoulders and brought out her blue eyes, making her very attractive. The female students didn't have a problem with her and some thought her rather friendly when she was in a good mood, but the boys were a little more cautious as she loved to flirt with them...in her own special way.

"Oh, come off it!" sighed Danielle, rolling her sapphire eyes. "You two are pathetic, she was probably just wanting to talk to you!"

Drew rolled his topaz eyes. "Well, that's a new definition of _talking!" _He continued working from his book again after receiving a click of the tongue from Rosa.

Princesa said nothing as she scribbled away, trying not to look at Esterella. What was that her friend had just said? _'For a Slytherin, she's not so bad'._ She knew that the Ravenclaw didn't appreciate the house very well. She thought them all the same: despicable, annoying and cruel. She sighed, suddenly thinking about her encounter in the corridor and the new friend she had made.

_I shan't tell anyone about Tom, _she told herself as she wrote. _Especially not Essie, she'll think I'm stupid as always. No, he'll be my little secret._


	3. Disagreements with Doxys

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The characters Mr Montez, Lorna Yates and Philip Marshall belong to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 3 – Disagreements with Doxys**

It seemed as if the Divination lesson had lasted a lifetime, before the students finally heard the bell ringing throughout the corridors, calling for them to go to their next class.

Sighs and mutters of relief sounded around the room as Professor Flatterwock began to gather up several sheets of parchment, her face serious. "Please place your homework on my desk before you leave the room," she said gently. "Thank you."

Esterella froze. _Homework! _She thought frantically. _**What **homework! _In a panic, she dashed over to Rosa and tugged on her robe sleeve, so much that she almost pulled her arm out of her socket.

"Essie!" Rosa complained, freeing herself. "What _are _you – !"

"You liar!" snapped the girl furiously, throwing her friend one of her glares. "You said that we didn't get homework last lesson! What am I going to tell her! It's only my first week back – !"

Rosa's mouth hung open in incredulity. "Ex_cuse _me! I don't remember telling you anything of the sort! You were late last lesson, weren't you? _You_ weren't here to hear what our homework was – !"

"Well, it would have been nice if you'd _reminded _me!" Esterella growled, pushing past her. "This is going to make me look an absolute idiot – and what are _you _staring at!" she screeched at a passing Gryffindor, who inconveniently chose that moment to see what all the fuss was about. "Thanks a lot, Rosa, thanks a _lot!" _

"Of all people, you should be blaming yourself!" the Ravenclaw finished in a dignified tone as she placed her piece of parchment on the desk, along with the others in a growing tower.

As Esterella made a fraught attempt to sidle past undetected, Flatterwock noticed with her falcon-sight that the student's hands were empty. She cleared her throat sharply, causing the girl to stop in her tracks with a sheepish grin on her face.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Miss Jewell?" she asked her sternly, drumming her four-inch nails on the desk, not really expecting anything to be given to her.

Esterella sighed and suddenly became very interested in the grooves and patterns in the smooth, stone floor. "Yes, professor," she began; stuffing her cramped hands into the pockets of her robes so that she wouldn't fiddle with them. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that the homework had to be handed in today."

It was _almost _the truth.

The teacher seemed to study the girl for a while, her silver eyes travelling over every single inch of her, from the crest on her robes to the faint blush on her face. It was a very long time before anyone said anything. Finally, Flatterwock let out a long, exasperated breath and picked up her quill, decorated with an eagle feather.

"I see," she muttered quietly as she scribbled down something. "Don't let it happen a second time. I want the task I set for you on my desk at lunchtime tomorrow. Don't forget, or there will be a detention."

Esterella could have sung with relief. "Thank you, professor."

"Now go," instructed Flatterwock, hinting at the door with an impatient wave of her hand, never taking her eyes from the work she was submitting to. "I don't want you to be late for your next lesson."

Thanking her again, Esterella grabbed her books and fled out of the classroom to catch up to her friends, who were waiting for her with baited breath.

-oOo-

"Well, I _thought _you knew!" Rosa was still protesting as they all headed down to the Hogwarts grounds where their flying lesson was due to take place. "I didn't think to ask you, because I was so sure that you were told by someone _else!" _

Esterella frowned and clenched her teeth, causing her to sound rather dangerous because she began speaking through them. "It just so happens that I _wasn't _told!" she argued back. "I could have gotten into so much trouble, _now _I have to hand it in tomorrow, and I haven't even started it yet!"

"At least you didn't get detention," piped up Regen, always the optimist.

Danielle giggled and shoved him playfully, almost completely colliding into Drew, who suffered a graze to his elbow from the coarse wall. "Quiet, you!" she teased him with a perky smile.

Esterella groaned and held her head in her hands. "That assignment is going to take me all night."

"Don't dwell on it," advised Rosa, now deciding to come to terms by slipping her arm around her friend's shoulders and squeezing them. "You'll have a chance to feel better after this lesson – you love flying."

Esterella nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, you're right. Although I wish I could say the same for _you!" _She proceeded to flick her friend's ear and quickly received a twisted face of pain as the Ravenclaw rubbed the sore spot.

Despite her friendly nature and happy-go-lucky mood, Rosa also had her problems. She was afraid of two things more than most in the world: heights and the dark. Regrettably, this affected her lessons at times, especially flying class and sometimes Potions; once one of the students had accidentally brewed a mixture, and its smoke was so thick and black poor Rosa had been close to tears by the time it had been cleared away. The fact that Potions was also held in the dreary dungeons did nothing to improve her problem either.

Rosa blushed cherry pink and looked away, biting her lip. "It's not my fault," she squeaked in a tiny voice.

"Who do we take this lesson with again?" Danielle asked out of nowhere, eager to change the subject.

"With Hufflepuff," said Regen, answering her.

"Do you remember last year, when we seemed to have more flying lessons with Slytherin than anyone else?" chuckled Esterella with a roll of her eyes. "They always rammed you from behind and tried to make you fall off! God, they really drive me mad, sometimes – "

"Shut up."

Everyone turned in the direction of whom had just spoken, finding they were all led to gape at Princesa, who hadn't spoken a word to anyone in hours until now. Her voice was so small: practically a whisper, but yet it seemed filled with absolute venom.

Esterella looked confused, fixing all attention on her. "What?"

"I said: 'Shut up'!" the girl retorted, scowling in the shadows, her fists shaking. "All I ever hear from you is how terrible that Slytherin's are! It's always: _Slytherin _are stupid! _Slytherin _are fools! _Slytherin _drive me mad – well, I'll tell you _one _thing, _you're _starting to drive _me _mad!"

Esterella darted her eyes around uncomfortably, and rather out of puzzlement. Why was she getting so cross with her about _that? _"Don't start yelling at me!" she replied back with a tone of shock in her words. "What's the _matter_ with you, anyway! You've been like this with me all morning! Everything I do seems to get on your t – !"

"_Look_!" Regen interrupted, practically screaming and throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "Can you two..._please…_just be _civil _to one another for _two _minutes! You're starting to turn everyone _insane _with your quarrels!"

The two of them clamped their lips shut, not wishing to annoy anyone else with their personal problems. No words were spoken but they sneered and glowered and yelled at each other with their furrowed eyes.

-oOo-

The class stood in two, neat horizontal lines on the field, the Ravenclaws on one side and the Hufflepuffs on the other. They had all managed to make it to the grounds in one piece, luckily without any more threats and tasteless words from Princesa and Esterella, although at one point Regen had to stop Esterella when she almost opened her mouth to say something spiteful.

"Good morning, fifth years!" greeted the flying instructor, Mr Montez, the long black hood of his robes covering half of his friendly face in shadow, so that only his brown eyes shone out clearly. "I hope you're all standing by a broom. Now, let's see if we can practise some of the things that we went over last week, shall we? Gather yourselves around now, gather yourselves around – don't shove! We have plenty of brooms to go around, but not many arms!"

Soon, all of the students managed to find a broom lying next to them (after much pushing and swearing towards one another) and they readied themselves, waiting for the first instruction.

"Please mount your brooms and follow me into the air!" called out Montez, soaring high above the trees with his raven cloak flapping behind him.

With numerous cries of 'Up!', many in unison, the students felt the wooden handle spring up into their outstretched palms, and they followed their teacher so that they were level with him. However, one broom and its occupant never moved from the ground.

Mr Montez stared downwards from a forty-foot drop to the emerald grass below with a click of his tongue, as he spotted the lone student, a Hufflepuff, still desperately pleading for her broom to come to her.

"MISS YATES!" he bellowed, cupping a gloved hand around his mouth. "WHAT ON _EARTH _ARE YOU DOING, GIRL! COME UP AND JOIN THE CLASS IMMEDIATELY!"

The girl, Lorna, squinted up into the sun. She looked like a tiny dot from above, her long ginger hair making her look like a squashed orange jellybean. _"Pardon, Mr Montez?" _came the tiny cry from below.

He sighed slowly, summoning strength, his face already turning slightly red from shouting so loudly. Some of the students sniggered and struggled to stay on their brooms. "I SAID: 'GET UP HERE THIS _INSTANT!" _

Silence. Then: _"I can't!" _Her voice sounded whiny, miserable.

The teacher frowned, his chocolate irises lighting up with irritation. He was not a patient man. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN: 'YOU CAN'T'!" he replied in a very thunderous volume.

_"My broom!" _Lorna wailed, stamping her foot pathetically. _"It **hates **me!"_

"OH, DON'T TALK SUCH NONSENSE!" he argued back, directing his broom towards the ground before turning to face the rest of the class. "Stay here, students," he ordered in a stern voice. "No monkey business or you'll be spit-shining bludgers for a _week _in detention!"

The class shuddered as they thought of the wild bludgers breaking their noses and shattering their cheekbones as they struggled to clean them, something the bludgers hated more than anything in the world.

"Poor Lorna," snickered another Hufflepuff boy, Philip Marshall, clutching onto his broom in an effort to stop his ribs from cracking. "She's practically messed up in all of her lessons these two weeks by doing _something _wrong!"

"What do you mean?" asked Princesa with sudden interest.

"Well," started Philip, scratching his head, his hazel eyes locked deep in thought, "Last week in Potions she 'accidentally' spilt a searing mixture that almost took out the whole floor...in Charms she was trying to silence her chicken, but instead cast a spell on it to make it lay eggs without stopping, and in Transfiguration she gave the piglet wings instead of turning it into a piggy-bank!"

"Pig's _can _fly!" a Hufflepuff boy laughed with added enthusiasm.

Esterella was about to chuckle along with them, but at that moment there was a loud rustle in the bushes, and all of a sudden a huge blue fairy-like creature with wings flew through it as if it were tissue paper, squawking like a strangled parrot and sending leaves flying everywhere.

"Oh, no! A doxy!" Danielle gasped, rearing herself and her broom out of harm's way. "Get out of the way, everyone! They're such pests!"

The doxy giggled and squeaked at the sight of all the students backing away from it, truly worried of its presence. It danced and did a few somersaults in the air, clapping its small, clammy hands. Finally, it decided to mock them all by darting in and out of the gaps in the students, who by now had scattered to all places. It pinched those who weren't quick enough to dodge it.

"Owch!" cried out Regen, after receiving one on his nose. He waved his hand at it and tried to swat it. "Get out of here, you!"

The doxy chirped excitedly in a painfully high-pitched voice. They were all yearning to cover their ears with their hands to block out the irritating sound, but they all needed to hold onto their broom handles for support as they careered past the pesky doxy. All they could do was grit their teeth and ignore it the best they could.

Rosa made a threatening karate move to the blue creature, to avoid getting another stinging pinch. She was feeling rather pleased with herself when she heard a shrill scream cut through the air, coming in the opposite direction. She turned about just in time to see the doxy fluttering around Esterella, fluttering around her and yanking at strands of her blonde hair with its tiny fingers.

"Stop it – GET OFF, YOU BLOODY IDIOT!" she was shouting furiously, using both of her hands to aim for the creature's throat, ready to throttle it. "You touch me again – and I'll KILL YOU!"

"Essie! HANDS!" called out Danielle desperately, but it did no good.

With one final tug, Esterella leant so far back on her broom that it shot in front of her, toppling her backwards off the wooden handle. She made to cry out in horror, but no sound came from her but a muffled shriek, as she clawed the air desperately for something to grab onto. Feeling her legs slipping away, she reached out and made one final grab for something, and wrapped her fingers around the head of the broom.

"HELP!" she cried frantically, dangling dangerously and feeling her hand slipping as she stared down at the grass below.

Since she was so far away from the others, the class all took off in pursuit to get close to her and haul her back up, hollering out to her, letting her know that help was on the way. Princesa was in the lead, looking as if she were ready to burst into a flood of tears.

"HOLD ON, ESSIE!" she wailed out to her, putting as much speed into her broom as possible. "I'M COMING – _HOLD ON!" _

The wind and crisping sun blazed down in a cruel mix of desperation and fear, and soon all the voices became muffled, blurry honks and howls as they came closer. And soon, Esterella felt the air whipping at her face and her stomach fall to her toes, as the whole world around her fell into a paint platter of greens and blues and greys, and she felt weightless with the sounds of her own screams in her head, though her mouth was shut tight with terror.

That was the last thing she remembered, before the floor must have opened up to catch her and seal her in a tunnel of darkness.


	4. Becoming Friends

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The character Madam Chervil belongs to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 4 – Becoming Friends**

White walls and the strong smell of disinfectant and rosemary blended together in Princesa's nostrils as she stared down at the bed, her friend Esterella lying there with her eyes tightly shut. She was breathing, but there wasn't any other sign of movement. Her head was placed on a small bag of ice and herbs and the side of her face was rather bruised.

Princesa wiped her damp cheeks and looked around at the Hogwarts nurse, Madam Chervil, who seemed to be writing something down with a small quill, her greying hair scattered all around her cheeks. Her assistant, young Poppy Pomfrey (who looked to be in her early twenties), stood at her side, her kind face looking rather grave.

"Is she going to be all right?" asked Princesa in a choked whisper.

Madam Chervil sighed heavily. "She suffered a very severe concussion when she hit the floor," she explained to her, tickling the feather of her pen over the parchment. "It was lucky that Mr Montez cast a small charm to make the blow slightly less critical than it could have been. Her legs have been mended as well as her elbow...but the concussion was a little more intense than expected."

More tears sprang into Princesa's eyes. "T-then..." she stammered, her lip trembling. "What's going to happen to her?"

"She'll be kept in the Hospital Wing until she is fully recovered," replied the nurse, readjusting her spectacles. "We cleared up the head wound as best as we could, but she may be unconscious for a while. She should be up and about in a few weeks, I'd wager – "

"A few _weeks_?" gasped the girl, her mouth hanging open. "That long?"

Poppy Pomfrey shrugged, her green eyes trying to be as helpful as possible. "She's out of our hands for now," she told her solemnly. "We'll just have to give her as much time as she needs."

-oOo-

"Missing time from revising," muttered Regen with a shake of his head at the supper table that night after Princesa had told them all the news. "In her second week! What about her O.W.L.S?"

Danielle chomped furiously into her toast, her eyes set in frustration. "Well, if you ask _me_," she dealt out, her mouth full as she struggled to express her feelings before swallowing. "It's all Mr Montez's fault! He left us unsupervised whilst giving Lorna private instructions!"

"_I_ blame _her_!" suddenly snapped Lucy, plunging her fork into her egg salad with suppressed rage. "Stupid cow! She should _know _how to lift off from the ground by now – she's in her _fifth _year!"

Princesa frowned as she held her head in her hands. "I blame the doxy," she whispered in a tiny voice. She swore under her breath in Spanish.

"I suppose it could have been _worse," _brought up Rosa with a roll of her eyes.

Lucy glared at her as if she were mad. "Worse?" she brought up with disbelief. "If you ask me, it's as worse as it is! My sister is in the Hospital Wing, _unconscious! _And..." Her features suddenly dissolved into sadness. "And I was so looking forward to coming back this year..." she trailed off, her voice breaking.

Rosa bit her lip, feeling very sorry for her. "She'll be ok, Luce," she comforted; noticing the second year was fumbling uncomfortably with her bag strap. "In a few weeks, she'll be fine."

Lucy drummed her fingers on the table. "Yeah." With a small intake of breath, she nudged her plate of half-eaten salad away from her. "I'm not hungry anymore," she murmured. "I'm going to go visit Essie for a bit, and – you know, _talk _to her...and stuff..." she swiped up her satchel and began to head out of the Great Hall towards the Infirmary.

Princesa raked her fingers into the scalp of her hair, her teeth clenched. "Ohhh..._God! _This is all _my _fault!" she moaned.

"How is it _your _fault?" questioned Regen with curiosity. "You didn't even _do _anything – "

"Ex_act_ly!" the girl exploded, untangling her hands from her dark red hair with a growl. "I didn't do _anything! _I didn't _help _her, I didn't stop her from _falling_, I didn't – "

Rosa raised her hands. "All right, then! Calm down," she commanded. "Neither did we, you know? You shouldn't punish yourself over this. It was an accident."

"Accidents, _accidents_!" Princesa responded, pitching her voice to an annoyingly high tone, raising her eyes to the ceiling as if she were a juvenile. "Everything's _always _a bloody accident, isn't it!"

Danielle blinked. "Princesa – "

_Slam! _The Spanish girl's palms met in full contact with the hard table, as her temper finally could stand no more pressure. She scraped herself to her feet, her cheeks flushing furiously, her blue eyelids brimming with fresh tears. "I don't want to _hear _it!" she lashed out, her eyebrows meeting in the middle with the bridge of her nose. "We should all stop blaming people – because there's nothing we can _do _about it! We might as well be counting the rafters on the ceiling – _there's no point_!"

And with that, she gathered up her books and bag and hurried out of the Great Hall towards the Ravenclaw common room, moving as quickly as she could with her head bent down towards the floor, an attempt to hide the tears rolling down her face.

Regen let his fork drop to his plate with a bored expression on his face. "Why does everyone have to be so _fickle_?" he thought aloud, turning his gaze to the other girls at the table. "You try to make them feel better, but they throw it all back in your face. I mean...what did _we _do, exactly?"

Rosa shrugged. "I don't know. She's a sensitive person, I suppose."

"Oh, says_ you_!" Regen laughed, giving her a playful shove.

"But anyway, they _are _best friends," Rosa continued, running a finger through one of her brown locks. "Maybe this has just hit her really hard, you know? She may have a right to blame herself –"

"Well, she's _our _friend too!" Danielle randomly exploded, sneering at the doorway where Princesa had just passed through, down the corridor. "I mean, who does she think she _is _sometimes! She thinks that she's the only one who cares about Essie – well, I don't know about you, but _I _certainly care about her!"

Regen scoffed to himself. "Yeah, me too. I almost passed out when I saw her fall – I thought that was the end for her!"

"So did I," included Rosa.

"You had enough trouble staying on your broom, ninja!" came Drew's voice from the other side of the table, friendly but teasing at the same time. "Don't think I didn't see those moves! I thought you were afraid of heights, anyway?"

The girl blushed, her cheekbones burning. "Y-yes, I am...but, you see...the doxy – "

Clicking her tongue, Danielle scooped up her satchel and began to rise from her chair. "Well, if you're all going to change the subject," she scolded in a rather imperial tone. "I've got a lot of homework to catch up with. I'll meet you all later in the common room." And then she was on her way, taking long, furious strides so she could be as far away from them as possible.

"Hey! Where's _she _go – _Ohhh! _Never mind," Regen finished in a groan, cupping his cheek into his palm as she watched her leave, before darting his brown eyes over to Rosa. "You won't storm off too, will you?" he practically begged. "Please don't – I can't take anymore!"

Rosa actually laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. I'm in about the same boat as you are." She exhaled noisily and rubbed feebly at her temples, her expression flickering in worry. "Regen, what are we going to do? Everyone's ripping each other to pieces! How will we sort things out again?"

"On a wing and a prayer," Regen muttered sarcastically as he tucked into the rest of his sandwich.

-oOo-

Fluttered gasps sounded around the hallway as Princesa walked hastily down the corridors, clutching her books protectively to her chest. She sniffed and tried to force away the newfound sting that was invading her eyes; the salt attacking.

It was hurting her inside, all of this. A fortnight back at school and so much wrong had occurred. _What happened to the carefree, easy year that Essie and I had planned in the summer? _She thought bitterly, fighting back more tears. _Why can't things just be **normal? **Why can't – ?_

"Outh!" came a pained cry as the Ravenclaw's shoulder collided with an unfortunate passer-by. She fumbled with her books and almost dropped them, managing to catch them just in time to hear the person say:

"Printhetha! Wath where you're going!"

The Ravenclaw rolled her eyes and spun around incredulously to glare into the pouted face of the girl from her own house. She did her best to hide her face, but it wasn't easy to conceal her sorrow from her words. "Look, Olivia," she spat. "I don't have time for this, I've been through _enough_ already this week without _you – _!"

Olivia frowned through her mop of brown hair. "Hey, are you ok?" she asked kindly in her lisp, the tone altered almost instantly at the sight of Princesa's tears. "You look really upthet, like you've been crying – "

"It's none of _your _concern!" Princesa hissed back spitefully, glowering.

"Well!" Olivia huffed, turning up her nose at the fuming Spanish girl, turning on her heel and beginning to storm away. "Forgive me for athking, why don't you! I wath jutht contherned about your well being, and you treat me like _thith! _I've never been more – !"

"_WHEEEEEHEEEYYYY! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" _came a sudden cry, cutting off Olivia's indignation, and the two of them jumped out of their skins as the hollow, high-pitched shout of a blue-skinned ghost popped out from a knight's armour, the head visor clanging shut. His bow-tie flipped as he laughed mockingly at their colour-drained faces.

"Peeveth!" growled Olivia to the bouncing poltergeist. "What do you think you're _doing_!"

However, her exclamation only seemed to make Peeves chuckle harder. "_Oooh_!" he chortled teasingly, doing a few flips in the air as he pointed a finger at her, his wicked face lighting up with humour. "Hisses and spitses just like a snake!"

"Get knotted!" retorted back Olivia, her freckles turning browner as the blush brightened them into view.

Almost immediately, the pesky ghost zoomed towards the unsuspecting Ravenclaw with a shrill cackle, grasping hold of her thick, russet locks and yanking them unmercifully in his cruel fingers, intending to tie them into one another, giggling the whole time.

Princesa merely stared at the scene, not really knowing what to do.

"OW!" shrieked Olivia, swiping at him as she attempted to free herself. "GET _OFF _ME, YOU STHUPID _PRAT!" _

Peeves ignored her completely, his annoying chuckles echoing their way around the castle walls, bouncing back, causing them to sound even louder. "You will not knot me, I will knot _you_!" he chanted unkindly, threading her hair all over the place, pulling and tugging at it whenever the girl tried to escape. "Little snakey gets tied up in two!"

"Leave her alone!" Princesa's normally neutral temper had risen to a point where she could feel her temples throbbing slightly, and she marched over to the despicable fight with her wand aiming straight at the poltergeist's forehead. "Stop it, Peeves! I mean it!"

She had wanted her voice to come out as strong and ominous, perhaps in a way that it would frighten him off. Instead, it wobbled and shook as if it were bouncing on a trampoline, dotted with tears.

For a few seconds, Peeves actually stopped and gazed at the wand, bewildered, but then his small, black eyes lit up in a new light of amusement, and he released poor Olivia's mop of hair, snorting with laughter and rolling over and over in the air, his horrible cackle ringing in Princesa's ears, like an awful playground taunt.

"S-Stupid old fifth year pointing a wand at _me_!" he spluttered out, tossing back his head and falling on his chest, pounding the air with a fist. "Trying to scare Peeves – you can't scare _me, _silly fifth year!"

"SHUT UP!" she cried out, her tone breaking from past tears, the humiliation springing into her eyes in the shape of water. "Shut up, you pathetic...ridiculous_, disgusting _– !"

"Priceless! Priceless!" the ghost hollered out, gasping for breath and clutching his sides, tears of laughter beginning to form in his own seedy eyes. "Whiny little fifth year – why do you cry, stupid fifth year?" He only just had chance to let his words escape, when he suddenly blurted out into a song, his teasing voice rippling with chuckles as he hovered there, sneering at the girl:

"_Sniffles, screechings and weeps,_

_It is no wonder you don't get any sleep,_

_Just like a goose_

_Or maybe a moose_

_You honk rather than utter a peep!"_

It wasn't a brilliant limerick, as it was thought up at the last minute through the ridiculing laughs and mocking of the blue ghost, but it wasn't exactly pleasant for the poor girl to listen to. After all that had happened to her friend, the last thing that she needed was to be made fun of in such a distasteful manner.

"Stop it!" Her threatening shouts seemed to scatter on the wind and fall on corpses, for the chuckles and screaming drowned her words, bringing even more misery on her. "Stop it..._stop shouting at me! **It's not funny**_!"

Olivia had disappeared.

Peeves opened his mouth again, about to add another remark to the weeping Ravenclaw, when another voice broke the atmosphere, a lot more domineering and stronger than the girl's. "Stop this at _once, _Peeves!" it ordered, demanding instructions from the shadows, and a wand's tip pointed threateningly forward. "I wouldn't cause any more trouble, if I were you. I wouldn't want the Bloody Baron to be involved in this." His tone sounded serious and surprisingly calm.

A flicker of fear danced in Peeve's beady eyes at the name of the Slytherin ghost, but before it could be judged upon he made a long, sickening raspberry noise and vanished through the wall, out of the room.

"Are you all right?"

Princesa turned around and saw a familiar face step out in front of her, his green eyes clouded with questions. He pocketed his wand in the inside of his robes and moved closer towards her, frowning a little. It took the girl a while to place his identity, but when she did, it came so clear to her and her blue eyes widened.

"It's you – Tom!" she blurted out, wiping away the tears. "Tom Riddle!" She dusted her robes off a little and smiled at him, her damp face beaming. "Thanks for scaring Peeves away, I thought that he would _never _leave me alone."

Tom shrugged, his expression casual. "You just have to know what to say to him," he replied coolly, glancing at her. "The Bloody Baron frightens him out of his wits." Suddenly his gaze directed back onto Princesa, to her tear-stained cheeks and her choked voice. He raised an eyebrow. "I certainly choose bad times to bump into you," he pointed out.

"Sorry," she mumbled, twiddling with her fingers as her ears grew warm. "I've just...you know, been having a lot of bad days recently."

There was an uncomfortable pause that seemed to last for minutes. Finally, Tom broke the silence, clearing his throat.

"I heard what had happened to your friend," he brought up, rather reluctantly. "Is that why you're so upset?"

Princesa seemed to think this over for a moment, breaking down the question. Yes, she was upset about Esterella's accident. It was such a shock, and at the time she thought that she might be _seriously_ hurt. Yet...shouldn't she be happy now that she was getting better? Why was she still so miserable? Could she be miserable that she _was _all right?

_No, no! _she told herself, brushing the thoughts away. _That's **ridiculous**! Why would I be upset about the fact that she's getting better? _

"I don't know," she eventually brought up, her voice distant. "I...I think so."

Tom nodded slowly, darting his vision around as if looking for a way out. "Oh," he fumbled with a small sigh, starting to walk away down the corridor. "Well, if you're going to be all right now, then I'd better be getting back. I've got homework and – "

"Wait! Tom, wait!" protested the girl, taking off after him, her shoes pounding the carpet as she attempted to keep up with him. "Let me walk with you for a while. It's the least I can do, after what you just did."

There seemed to be a sheer glimpse of annoyance on the Slytherin's face for a moment, but then it seemed to dissolve into a small, sideways grin, and he slowed down a little so that she had the chance to catch up and walk besides him. "If you insist. I didn't really do anything _that _important, Princesa."

She girl blinked in surprise. "You remembered my name?"

"Of course," he replied, his smile enveloping itself into a bigger one. "Why shouldn't I? We're friends, remember?"

A small sweep of delight swam through the Ravenclaw's body as he said those words. It was nice to have another friend, someone who didn't judge her, or wouldn't contradict her whenever she tried to bring up something that she classified as important in her eyes. She found herself beaming all over her face, and the tears finally disappeared and faded away into nothing, her sorrow forgotten.

"Yes," she agreed. "We're friends."


	5. Acceptance & Unforgivable Apologies

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The characters Coralie Dickinson, Vanessa Yates, Isabel Yates, Scott Bishop and Jessica Powis belong to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 5 – Acceptance & Unforgivable Apologies**

Their footsteps clomped down the hall as the two fifth years made their way back to their common rooms, laughing and talking away – rather uncomfortably at first – but nevertheless, the ice was certainly breaking.

Princesa smiled shyly, looking up at the Slytherin with her eyes shining. She had never imagined him to step in and help her in such a reassuring manner. In fact, she was never sure if she would have seen him again after the morning. She sighed, to break the silence.

"Thanks for walking me back," she said, poking him playfully. "You didn't have to...it's not like Peeves hurt me, or anything – "

"Don't think on it," Tom replied with a chuckle. "I just felt like I should. To repay the favour."

The girl opened her mouth to answer, but found herself filled with confusion. _Favour? _she thought, frowning. _**What **favour? He's the one who's done things for me since I've met him, not the other way around. _

"What do you mean?" she asked, twiddling her fingers uncomfortably. "I haven't – "

"I've been looking for a good excuse to give that Peeves a piece of my mind," he told her, a smug grin curling itself onto his face. "Last year, I always felt that he was trying to find some way to make my term miserable, but the sly idiot always managed to dodge me before I had a chance to lunge."

Princesa giggled.

"So, thank you," he smirked, nudging her slightly with his elbow. "I feel a lot better now. Almost accomplished."

"Y-You're welcome," she muttered back, unsure of which way to look. For some reason, it felt as if the corridor had turned to ice, for all of her body felt frozen. Her cheeks flickered with flame.

_Wait! _she realised, suddenly aware and dumbstruck of how she was behaving. _What am I doing? I'm blushing over everything he's saying! This is ridiculous...I shouldn't be embarrassed. I mean, he **is **my friend after all...he did say so. Yes – he did! _She cleared her throat quickly and gazed at him.

"Did you mean that?" she blurted out, tucking a lone strand of hair behind her ear idly, her face a twisted frown. "When you said that we were friends...you did _mean _that, right?"

To her surprise, Tom actually laughed; a low, infectious laugh that managed to bring a small grin to Princesa's puzzled face. "Of _course _I meant it!" he murmured, chuckles tingling between the words. "Why? Did you think I was joking?"

"Well...no," Princesa admitted, for some reason finding much interest in the floor beneath her shined shoes. "It's just...well, I found it rather odd that someone like _you_...would, you know – ever want to become friends with someone...like, erm..._me._"

Another throbbing hush pounded in her ears. She despised situations like this. Why – _why _couldn't she keep a conversation going...lest a _decent _one? In her culture, any conversation that contained a pause meant that something was going wrong. She clenched her teeth.

Tom's brow fell; half out of bewilderment, the other out of sympathy. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Oh – _I _don't know," the Ravenclaw giggled, attempting to direct the conversation into humorous tones once again, casually throwing the seriousness aside. "It's just...well, look at you. You're – "

"Erm, let me guess," Tom interrupted, quite brutally, his voice spiky and bitter. "A Slytherin?"

Princesa stared at him. Somewhere inside of her, it was almost as if she were listening to herself, and she..._she _felt like – Esterella. And because of this, she suddenly felt a disgusted taste sting her. _Why does he think that I look at him in that way? I'd already told him that I wasn't like **her **– I'm not prejudiced! _

"I don't think that at all!" she declared indignantly, brushing herself up straight with a fierce, hidden gleam in her eyes. She stood still on the spot, coming to a halt and staring upwards at the prefect, who loomed over her in size. "I've already told you a dozen times, I don't have any problems with those things! It's Essie who's all anti-Slytherin – not _me_!"

Tom blinked. "Well – "

"Don't start thinking that I'm just like her, because I would rather be lying _dead _than saying anything like that!" The girl continued, in her clear voice. Her fists were beginning to clench at her hips. "I'm not like her! We're different, her and me! We've...!"

Then she stopped, her voice trailing away. Her gaze flickered sadly and her eyes disappeared behind her lids, attracted to the ground. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed wearily.

"We've _always _been different," she finished, in rather a quiet, distant tone. "It's been the same since we first met...when we were both sorted into Ravenclaw on our first day at Hogwarts. She's always been braver...and more understanding than I could have _ever _been."

Tom frowned, listening.

"I can still remember," whispered Princesa, her voice a fluttered breeze, as if she were shaking the tree of her memories, and thousands of leaves were transcending down. A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I sat next to her in the Great Hall afterwards – at our table. I can remember..._staring _at her – in _awe_! Because..." she cut herself off again, beginning to gather crimson in her cheeks. "Because...she was the most amazing person I'd ever known."

The air was silent for a few moments. Tom was standing there, intently, his arms folded and an interested expression lighting up. He seemed to have been paying close attention to her story, and finally, he spoke.

"You're really that worried about her, aren't you?"

A crinkle of a smile pulled at the edges of her mouth. "Y-yeah. Just...just a bit – all right, a _lot._"

He smirked, unfolding his arms and dangling them at his sides.

"Anyway," she said quickly, shaking her head a little to clear it, and to change the subject. "I didn't want to bring all of that up. I was just...well, before, I was wondering why you would want to be friends with someone like me." She bit her lip and stared into his face, cautiously. She fidgeted, twisting a strand of her dark hair around her finger.

"But why would you think that?" Tom questioned, his eyebrow shooting upward. His words were rather injuring, but yet his voice was kind and intrigued. It made a difference, and Princesa breathed; her confidence expanded.

"I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. "Maybe...maybe it's because you're a prefect. Or – or maybe it's because you're really clever." She grinned nervously at him. "I've noticed how clever you seem to be, you always have the right answers!"

Tom looked away, unmoved by the compliment.

"And you're so brave!" the Ravenclaw gushed, tangling her fingers together again, as if they were involved in a rather bizarre battle. "The way that you talked to Peeves like that...I could never, _never _do that!"

He sighed. "Really," he repeated. "Don't think on it."

"That's why I guessed that you wouldn't be interested in being friends," Princesa confessed. "You're so _great, _Tom. And I'm..." her sentence dissolved on her tongue, and this time it was her turn to glance away, her eyes prickling. "I'm no one."

"Don't say that," he assured, placing a hand on her slouching shoulder.

"But it's true!" the girl practically wailed, spinning around and boring her blue eyes into his surprised face. His hand released her shoulder at the reaction. "I'm nothing like you!" she continued, her voice choking. "I'm not that clever, I rarely collect house points – I'm not a prefect...I can't even _fly _that well!"

Tom didn't interrupt her this time. Instead, he gazed back at the miserable girl, whose eyes were now shimmering with the warning of oncoming tears. Her self-pity was beginning to make him very uncomfortable, and didn't really know what he could say to batter her wall down. In fact, he just stood there, looking rather useless.

"I don't even belong here," she finished, tears piercing the corners of her eyes. "I-I should have never gotten that silly letter. I...I should have just stayed with _momia_ – gone to boarding school. M-married a nice, rich _hombre _like she w-wanted me t-to!"

She buried her face in her palms, bursting into despondent weeps.

For a moment, Tom seemed unsure of what to do. He simply gaped at the sobbing student, looking as if he were about to say something...but didn't. He scratched his head uncomfortably, racking his brains for something encouraging to say, whilst she howled on the spot.

He cleared his throat. "Erm – "

"E-everyone h-hates m-m-me!" she wept, her voice on a balancing act, as if trapeze artists were practising on her vocal cords. "T-they all know I don't b-belong here! I s-should just g-go home where they w-won't have t-to look at m-me anymore!"

She exploded into another bout of tears.

He edged his hand out towards her, carefully, as if she might bite it off at any moment. "Don't cry," he said, in an almost deadpan voice, rubbing her shoulder awkwardly, darting his eyes away to check if anyone was watching, and secretly praying he didn't have to stand here next to her when she was in this state.

"I c-can't help it, T-Tom!"

"Of course you can," Tom said quickly in a false voice. "There's nothing to cry about." Then, thinking quickly, he turned to her desperately and added: "_I _don't hate you."

His strategic words seemed to have worked. The girl's breathing reduced, and she managed to remove her fingers away from her eyes with a few congested sniffs. The corners of her lips wormed into a watery smile as she gazed up at him.

"Really?" she choked.

He nodded, quickly. "Of course," he said, touching her hands and moving them down so as they were not barring her eyes. "I don't really see what there is to dislike, to be frankly honest."

A strange, emitting warmth suddenly seemed to billow, like a fiery, prickly breeze was embracing the inside of her body and spilling out through the pores. It travelled up towards her cheeks and stuck there, burning away.

It wasn't until a group of first-year Hufflepuff students ran past them in a spurt of giggles that they realised they had been standing there, dumbstruck, for a few good minutes.

Princesa giggled uncomfortably, tossing her long hair behind her shoulder.

"Well," Tom spoke up, brushing down his robes and straddling his schoolbooks beneath his arm. "As I said, I have homework...and I must be going." And saying that, he turned and began to head back towards the dungeons, flashing an awkward grin.

Standing frozen on the spot, the Ravenclaw said the first thing that came to her: "I-I'll see you again sometime, yes?" She shuddered at how hopeful it sounded.

"Yes...of course," he muttered back, his voice emotionless. And with that, he vanished into the corridors; as if he were a shadow himself and someone had snuffed out the candle he was using to live.

Her fingertips twitched in a feeble wave. In fact, anyone who may have passed her would have perhaps thought that she were paralyzed. A small, warm feeling stirred within her stomach and travelled to her knees, fixing her feet unstably to the ground.

What was this feeling? Could it possibly be..._acceptance? _Someone had claimed her as their friend, someone who she had only known for a few days. How could someone see her in such a way to call them their _friend? _And especially a Slytherin, those with a reputation unlike Tom's behaviour.

It was all so unreal at that moment.

"Bye," she whispered lamely as she walked back to her common room, a blank expression moulding her face, but hiding the shining amount of elation bubbling inside of her.

-oOo-

"No! Forget it, you rotten cow!"

"Look," Lorna said with exasperation. "I already said I was sorry – It was an _accident_! I didn't _mean _–"

"Oh, well _that's _understandable!" snapped Lucy, whirling on the girl with her eyes blazing. "You never _mean _anything, do you! You're an irrepressible cry-baby, that's all you are, Yates!"

Regen cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in the corner.

A crowd of Lorna's Hufflepuff friends, as well as a handful of Ravenclaws were packed around the Silver Knight, the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower. After the catastrophic events during the previous flying lesson, Lorna had offered to apologise for whatever she might have done to cause Esterella's plummet.

But Lucy was having none of it.

"I didn't _intend _to drag Montez down to the ground!" Lorna moaned. "I really _was _having trouble with my broom – the silly thing _hates _me –!"

"So, take it to counselling!" Drew threw in with a growl. A few of the smaller Ravenclaws sniggered.

"It's _not_ my fault!" the girl protested, her voice strangely high-pitched. It was simple to notice that she was just about ready to burst into tears. "I...I just..._I..._"

At once, her Hufflepuff friends began to take control. There were a lot of angry mutterings all at once, and Danielle was sure she heard Coralie Dickinson, a Hufflepuff, snarl: "The _nerve_! No one talks to _my _best friend like that!" with a toss of her blonde hair.

Philip stood in front of the miserable Lorna defensively, allowing the girl to spin around and use Coralie as a shoulder to cry on. His eyes flashed with a raging, hazel light. "Leave her alone, already!" he barked. "It's not like she meant to do it on purpose! She's said that she's sorry – what _more _do you want!"

"How about _you _fall off your broom next time, Marshall!" came a voice from around the corner, shaking and trembling with rage.

Rosa turned, her mouth wide open. "Princesa!"

The girl stood leaning against the wall, her teeth clenched and her fists shaking. Her death gaze directed itself to Philip and she swore strongly in Spanish with a mighty, unleashed roar.

Philip scowled at her. "Don't look at me like that," he insisted, in a somewhat softer tone. "I just don't see the fairness of ganging up on Lorna, that's all." He backed off a little as the boiling Ravenclaw marched closer.

Danielle bit her lip. "Princesa –"

"Oh, no?" asked Princesa coldly, raising an eyebrow. "Doesn't she understand how to lift a _broom _up into the air? Hmm?"

"Don't you _dare _blame that on me!" Lorna blurted out in a splutter of tears, a deep frown embedded in her forehead. "I can't quite help it now if my broom _hates _me, can I!"

Princesa chuckled, long and spitefully, although it rang with its own pleasant sound. "It _hates _you?" she mocked, covering a hand over her mouth to hide her obnoxious laughter. "Learn to have a little self control – you're in your _fifth _year!"

Lorna opened her mouth to respond, but found herself hanging her head. "I don't learn fast..." she trailed off in a quiet, ashamed whisper.

"I'm a Muggleborn, just like yourself," continued the Ravenclaw, her giggles dissolving, and instead her voice now contained on ominous quality of authority. "_I_ don't find any excuse. You just need to be more confident."

Without another word, poor Lorna's face screwed into one of misery and she whirled around on her foot, sprinting down the corridor in a flood of gentle sobs.

"Lorna – come back!" shouted Coralie, getting ready to take off after her with the other Hufflepuff students, who had all rushed to aid their friend. No sooner than she had disappeared around the corner, then she darted around again, shooting Princesa a poisonous glare.

"She was just trying to apologise," she hissed icily. "Perhaps _you _should try it sometime."

Princesa simply stood there, secretly feeling very, _very _displeased with herself. _It's not like me to say things like that to others, _she told herself. _What came over me back there? Why...why would I say that to Lorna? _She swallowed her guilt and stared at her shined shoes, twiddling her fingers.

"That wasn't very nice, Princesa," sighed Regen, stating the obvious.

In reply, she glanced over at him through the corner of her eye. "Well...perhaps she should have thought twice before distracting Montez."

"We were as much to blame as _her,_" Rosa brought up, folding her arms across her chest. "We flew too close to those trees and disturbed the Doxys – we invaded their nest space."

Princesa said nothing. After a long silence, she simply shrugged. "I just want Essie to be all right," she choked, avoiding her friends' gazes. "I suppose I just...need someone to be mad at."

Silence. Princesa knew that they disapproved of her excuse.

However, their attention was distracted by the sound of tapping footsteps coming from the direction that the Hufflepuffs had disappeared down. All at once, two older (and rather similar looking) girls appeared, both wearing shiny, silver Prefect badges. They spotted the crests on their robes; Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The tall girl bearing the Gryffindor crest had piercing light green eyes and a smooth, chiselled face. Drew remembered finding her very attractive.

The slightly smaller girl, with Hufflepuff tattooed on her robes, held the same piercing gaze, only this time, they emitted a blue light. Both girls had the same ginger coloured hair, the difference being that the taller girl had her hair cropped short, just below her chin, whilst the other's long hair rippled over her shoulders like a sunset wave.

Regen groaned and clenched his teeth. Not only were these girls Prefects, but they were both the sisters of Lorna Yates. _Typical. _

"What's all this we hear about you and Lorna's little spat?" questioned the Gryffindor Prefect, Vanessa. "She's devastated back there. What exactly did you say?"

"Nothing!" Princesa growled. The last thing that she wanted was to involve Prefects in on her business. "Just a minor disagreement."

"I'd like to see what a _major _one was," scoffed the other sister, Isabel.

Danielle, the peacemaker, decided that this was her cue to step in. "We don't want any trouble," she insisted in her calm voice. "We all have homework to catch up on, and we don't wish to be out here quarrelling all night."

Vanessa tapped her fingers on her folded arms.

"I'm sure this mess will be sorted out tomorrow," Danielle continued – with a tiny grimace at Princesa – "but until then, let them sleep on it and everything will be fine."

Isabel Yates sighed, her forgiving nature shining through. "All right," she whispered, believing honest Danielle's explanation. "But let it be sorted out tomorrow, or whenever you happen to pass her by again. She can be upset quite easily and we don't want any hullabaloo in the first week."

"Completely agree!" chimed in Drew, staring at Vanessa.

But Rosa wasn't listening to them. Instead, her focus was fixed on the tall, skinny-legged boy with dark blonde hair running over to the crowd, an elated grin on his face. She groaned and hid her face in her hand, pressing her lips together in embarrassment.

"Go on in, you had better make a start on your homework," Vanessa said with one of her rare smiles. "I'm just glad we – _arruughh_!"

Her sentence was snapped in two at that moment because the older student who had been racing down the hall leapt beside her and wrapped his arms around Vanessa's waist. His green eyes lit up with ecstasy as he pulled her close to him, gently kissing her on the cheek with a playful smirk. His robes bore the crest of Gryffindor, and not only did he carry a Prefect badge, but also one that proudly shone '_Head Boy'_.

"Scott!" laughed Vanessa, shoving her boyfriend's shoulder in frustration. "You scared me half to death – I've told you not to _do _that!"

He smirked mischievously, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Sorry, it never gets old."

"Well, it does for _me,_" his girlfriend replied, poking his nose and causing his face to screw up in surprise. Isabel giggled uncontrollably.

Scott's face brightened up as he caught sight of the Ravenclaws gathered around the Silver Knight. He smiled smoothly and waved, innocently though mockingly, at one of them. "Hi there, little sis," he chuckled.

Rosa twisted her face into a painful smile before quickly wiping it away again.

-oOo-

"Oh, thank _God _you're here!" squealed a young third year girl when Regen entered, her short auburn hair disarray in all places. "I'm having so much trouble with this _dratted _Charms homework, Regen!"

Regen chuckled and smirked at his sister, shaking his head a little. She was certainly not afraid to admit when she was having trouble with something (which happened more often than never). She had his same light brown eyes, but had a little bit of an attitude that he could _never _remember experimenting with.

"All right, Jessica, come here then."

But before that Jessica could discuss her problems with her magical education, she darted her eyes over the group of Ravenclaws that had just entered the room. Her face fell as she noticed that someone was missing, someone who she was very close friends with.

"W-where's Luce?"

In unison and due to reaction, they all rotated their heads around like spinning tops, searching for a sign of Esterella's sister. _That's odd, _thought Danielle.

"We thought that she might be here," Princesa replied, her face wrought with confusion.

Jessica gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "I-It doesn't matter," she murmured, in a rather distant voice. "I'm sure she'll...turn up soon. Come on, I really need to get this finished." And she walked back to her seat, grabbing her brother's wrist and hauling him to her open books and ink-blotted parchment sheets.

Danielle and Rosa exchanged puzzled glances before following.

-oOo-

Her fingers traced idly over the wrinkled bed sheets, mingling cresently with her deep sighs. She felt the prickle of thorny tears stinging her eyes and she blinked them away. She wasn't going to cry. She had _told _herself that she wouldn't.

_Damn that Doxy, _she thought bitterly. _Damn everything – damn sister. Should have stayed on your broom, you cow. _

Lucy brushed a few strands of her blonde hair out of her eyes, staring down at her unconscious sister on the Infirmary bed. Esterella lay there perfectly still, as if nothing in the world caused her any problems. Her breath was gentle and easy; relaxing, as if she were in the earth's most beautiful sleep.

"You're an idiot," Lucy mumbled, fidgeting with a piece of screwed up paper in her hands. "You're supposed to be clever. But you're just...so _stupid._" She turned away resentfully, squeezing her lids shut, a burning feeling welling in her fingers.

Reluctantly, she opened the piece of tattered parchment in her hand, squinting at times to read the juvenile script that lay upon it. On top of that, the condition of the material also made it rather difficult to decipher:

_Essie, _

_You're the bestest sister the worlde cud ever ask 4, I'd neva change u for anything and I love you so very very much, even when u get mad at me and when I get mad at u I still luv u no matta wot_

_Lotsa love _

_Luce xxxxxxxxx_

With another repressed sigh, she folded up the parchment (which was also covered in something brown and hard) and placed it next to her sister, neatly under the sheets.

With that, she got to her feet and began to make her way out of the Hospital Wing, having done what she needed to do. She fingered the door handle uncomfortably on her way out, brushing away a few droplets of threatening tears that lingered on the edge of her eyes.

"Stupid."


	6. Tears of the Serpent

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The characters Harriet Aimworthy, Luke McLean and Mandy Cooper belong to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 6 – Tears of the Serpent**

_September 14th, 1942_

Seven days and seven nights followed the turn of events that the students of Hogwarts had engaged in recently, especially over the concern of Esterella's health. Her friends were still frantically worrying about her constantly, day and night, and had become their number one priority during discussions.

"She should be improving by _now_," Danielle thought out loud at times, as the Ravenclaws sat around their table, tucking into their breakfast. "Right?"

And the response she got was always the same. Shrugs, exchanged glances, and the occasional "dunno" from Drew with his mouth full of bacon.

However, although Princesa was also thinking of her friend's condition in the Infirmary, without Esterella to be with, she found herself spending a lot of her time with Tom. They would walk each other to their lessons (although sometimes Tom said that he had to rush off to the library and wasn't able to), and would often take walks around the castle during free time.

Princesa knew that although she hadn't known Tom for a long time, she found him very interesting to talk to, and wanted to understand him more. There were times that she felt he wasn't completely engaged in what they had to say; as if he were in another world of his own.

_He's so mysterious, _she told herself. _I don't understand why he's like that, but I'd love to know. _

There was one advantage, however, when they spent time together. Peeves, normally out to constantly bug Princesa whenever he passed her, steered clear away from Tom, blowing raspberries as he piloted over their heads.

The O.W.L.S revision never ceased during lessons and homework, much to the exasperation of most students. To some, it felt as if every single teacher kept reminding them just how important these examinations were, and Olivia, for one, felt a little pressured about the whole thing.

"I'm going to fail thethe, I jutht know it," she would complain, scribbling furiously on parchment. "I'm hopeleth, completely hopeleth, I tell you!"

"Oh...don't say that," comforted Rosa, elbowing Regen hard in the ribs as she heard him suppress a snicker. "I'm sure you'll be okay – they're ages away yet. You've got _loads _of time to revise!"

"Mmm."

They all flinched suddenly as a loud _crash _rampaged around the Great Hall. They spun around to see Drew scrambling off a few Slytherin students that he had fallen back into. Their faces blackened like thunder, and the hot blush rippling across the Ravenclaw's face clashed ridiculously with his hair.

"Wait a moment," frowned Harriet Aimworthy, a first year who perched herself at the end of the Ravenclaw table. "Who's _that _standing over him?"

Everyone's eyes darted like hooks on fish-lines to a rather tall girl standing next to a group of Slytherins in her house, her arms crossed across her chest with a perked smile on her attractive face. Her long, dark crimson curls spilled pleasantly over her shoulders, shaping her cheeks perfectly.

"Um, are you okay?" she asked Drew, who received a kick in the shin from a dark haired Slytherin boy, Luke McLean. She attempted to hold back a smirk as she leant over him, holding out her hand. "Here, let me help you –"

"No! That's...that's _quite _all right, thanks," growled Drew, brushing himself off and glaring at Luke. "That's enough help from _you, _Jess."

For a short moment, she simply stood there, an enigmatic look glazing across her face. But then, a rising chuckle, like melted honey, rippled past her throat and she concealed it with a hand. A few of the Slytherin girls standing around her burst into frenzied, cruel giggles.

"Oh, don't be silly," she said in a sugary sweet tone, cobalt eyes sparkling. "Come on...on your feet, Drewie." It wasn't until she had grasped hold of his freckled hand and hauled him to his feet that he noticed that she offered him a sly wink, smiling broadly.

Drew's face paled. _I **hate **it when she calls me that! _He bit his lip from embarrassment and stared at the floor, wishing that he could fall through the ground, away from the piercing pinpricks of smothered laughter.

"Oh, bless him!" sneered a fifth year, Mandy Cooper, from the Slytherin table. "I think you scared 'im, Jess!"

Guffawing along with the rest of them, Luke strode over and wrapped his arm around her in a tight squeeze.

Drew was not usually the type of person who would suddenly have legs like flobberworms at the slightest chance of being humiliated (_Especially by a bunch of Slytherins, _he thought bitterly). Normally, he would have laughed like a drain in their faces and called them every name under the sun. Only...this time, it was slightly more complicated.

_She's waiting for me to say something, _he panicked, staring into Jess's puzzled face. _But I can't think of a bloody thing **to **say! This is so stupid – why do I **do **this in front of her? I'm such an idiot...**idiot...**_

His thoughts snapped back to reality as he felt a warm hand nestle onto his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, and he realised that this time her voice was mellower and full of sincerity, rather than a tease.

Somehow it made him feel even worse.

"No...um, I – thanks," he mumbled, almost incoherently, gathering himself together and scurrying back to his seat, Jess shaking her head regretfully in his direction.

-oOo-

"She really likes you," Rosa beamed as he returned, chomping into her toast with glee. "It's so _obvious, _Drew, why can't you _see _it?"

The ashamed Ravenclaw simply shrank into his chair, resting his head between his arms and groaning loudly, his face still visible as it glowed a gleaming scarlet against the wooden table. "Funny way of showing it," he spat coldly, his words muffled. "Bloody making a fool out of me – "

"That's just the way she is," explained Danielle, cupping her cheek in her hand, smirking. "Besides," she added, raising an eyebrow. "I think you like her too."

It was almost as if someone had grabbed the back of the boy's collar and jerked his head back as far as it would go. Drew's eyes burned as he stared at her with his mouth open. His fist clenched against the table.

"Don't make me laugh," he snorted as an eyelid twitched. "Don't you dare – _how _the hell could I like her! Always teasing me, and making me look stupid! You know what? I've got an idea," his voice oozed with sarcasm. "Maybe I should just go and propose _right _now!"

His head connected to the table with a _thump. _

"You could always ask her to the Yule Ball," suggested Jessica, sipping her pumpkin juice.

He pulled a face, now lazily twisting his fork back and forth on his plate, attempting to release the stinging flame of flush from his nose. "Nah – don't _think _so," he replied rudely.

"But she really _likes _you!" protested Rosa again with some level of aggravation. "My mother's right: _'Boys will be boys'!_ You can't even _see_ that she fancies you!"

"Then how do you explain her constantly provoking me?" snapped Drew, eyeing her coldly with dishevelled hair.

His friend simply shrugged as she helped herself to more sausages. "Go figure," she said. "Perhaps that's just the way she does it. If she likes someone, she teases them – or makes fun of them, some girls are that way."

Drew blinked. "What's the bloody point of _that_!"

"It's all about reverse psychology," explained Danielle, with her own secret smile. "You treat them like dirt to not let on that you really _do _like them. Or, in your case," she included, folding her arms triumphantly. "It's the fact of doing exactly the same thing back –"

"I do _not_ fancy Jess!" snarled Drew, banging his fist on the table and knocking over Princesa's juice. "I wouldn't date that...that _cow _if she was the last girl on earth – and that's final, I'm afraid."

Rosa and Danielle simply exchanged glances.

"Stop it!" the boy snapped, his cheeks blazing with the burn of embers as he gathered up his books and stormed away down the hall. "I don't even _like _her!"

Danielle chuckled and shook her head, scooping up her fork and helping herself to another sausage. "If you say so, _Drewie_."

-oOo-

"_Dress robes_!" spluttered Regen to Rosa as the Ravenclaws trudged their way back from their Divination lesson. "Is _that _what you were whispering about in there?"

"Of course," replied Danielle in a matter-of-fact tone. "The ball's three months away, practically. We've all got to start thinking about buying dress robes before all the good ones are taken."

Drew blinked. "But it's September," he groaned. "Christmas is ages away yet!"

"That's what they _want _you to think," smirked Rosa, testing out her wand on pieces of fabric to ponder over the many selection of colours. "Do you think blue would go better with my eyes, or green?"

"You must be at least thinking about it a _little _bit," chimed in Princesa, who seemed just as eager about the ball as Rosa. "Not even what _colour _you want to be dressed in? Or who you might be taking?"

Regen shook his head sceptically to himself and continued walking ahead, staring curiously at Princesa. "No, I'm going to wait another three months before I start pondering over things like that," he chuckled. "Why? Have _you_ decided?"

"Well, I _was _considering something in turquoise –"

"No, no," Regen interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "Not about the robes, have _you _got an idea who you might be going with yet?"

"Oh," said Princesa, and her face seemed to fall into a strange look of mystery, although she seemed slightly fidgety. "Oh..." she murmured again, awkwardly. "Well...I was – I was really thinking about asking...about asking Tom to go with me."

The others frowned, the name a complete puzzlement to them. They turned to one another and explored expressions, but it seemed that _no one _knew who in the world she was talking about.

"Who's Tom?" Rosa enquired, trying not to smirk.

"He's just a boy I'm friends with," said Princesa quickly, adjusting her bag strap in an effort to conceal her flushed face. She really wasn't very comfortable talking about boys in front of her friends, even though that this was only Tom. "I just thought it would be nice to ask him."

"You've never told us about him before," piped up Drew, folding his arms and staring at Princesa.

The girl shrugged and avoided his gaze. "I am _now._"

"I don't even think we've seen him before."

"Well, he's in the library a lot," the Ravenclaw tried to explain, hiding behind her curtain of dark auburn hair and staring at the floor. "He likes to study there. He's a prefect too, you know? So...he has to keep up with his studies as well as his hall –"

"Oh, do you mean Tom Riddle?" Danielle cut in, pointing straight at her friend's coy face with a victorious shimmer in her eyes. "He's that Slytherin prefect, right? He's always wandering around corners and around the back of classrooms, all sorts of places, really."

"Yeah," said Princesa in a quiet voice. "That's him."

"You wanted to ask _him_?" gawped Rosa, almost dropping her books on Olivia's foot in surprise, her dark brown eyes ballooning. "He's so _mysterious, _right? I've seen him before, he's like a shadow. You don't even realise he's there until he threatens to report you."

Princesa shrugged with a glare. "_I _see him."

"Yeah, okay," giggled Olivia, patting her friend on the shoulder.

It seemed as if her friends had touched a raw nerve in her rather fragile system. The bridge of her face burned a bright maroon and she fumed, screwing her nose up angrily and clutching her books protectively – and more firmly – to her chest. "Stop teasing me," she growled, her eyes burning. "Why do you always have to tease me?"

"She's _not _teasing you," sighed Danielle. "Stop being paranoid."

Princesa whirled on her with a new wave of rage before pulling away from them and stomping off down the hall. "Paranoid?" they thought they heard her mumble as she walked away. "Pfft. Look who's talking."

No one said a word about that afterwards. Perhaps it was because they didn't wish to anger their friend further, as she already seemed to be in a pretty foul mood. However, they all knew that the truth was because they secretly felt that she was right.

-oOo-

Furious footsteps clomped along with the angry beats of Princesa's pounding heart as she made her way to the library to find Tom, holding books in her fists and snorting like a rampaging bull.

_Stupid friends, _she thought bitterly. _How could they say that to me? To **me? **They're supposed to be on my side – they're supposed to **listen **to me! Well, in that case – forget them. I'll just find someone who **will **listen to me. _

Turning a sharp corner with a whip of her school robes, she stormed into the library (although receiving a sharp _hush _from Madam Pince, the librarian) and spotted a boy sitting not too far away, flicking through the pages of an old book, intrigued in its contents. She marched her way over to him.

"Hello, Tom," she greeted, slapping a smile onto her flustered face.

_Slam! _Jumping as though he had been electrocuted, Tom's teeth clenched together as he quickly shut the book on itself and glanced upward at the Ravenclaw with a guilty smile. "Oh, hello!" It sounded extremely false and he took to raking through his dark hair and casting nervous glances at Madam Pince.

Princesa frowned. "Are you all right?" She cocked her head, attempting to view the cover of his book. "What are you reading –?"

"Nothing!" he said quickly, snatching the book off the table and shoving it into his bag, looking a little frustrated. "Just something for homework, you understand – what's the matter?" he suddenly asked, noticing the hidden fury in her eyes.

"Oh," she muttered flatly, staring at the floor, adjusting her bag strap. "It's just...my friends again, it's nothing."

Tom nodded and scraped all of his belongings into his bag. "Mmm." He certainly looked as if he didn't really find it very hard to understand her problem – being that she often talked about her friends in this manner. He wasn't sure if he was finding it more annoying than she was.

"Actually," sidled Princesa, eager to change the subject. "I was wondering if you wanted to come for a little stroll before our next lesson –"

"Of course," he interrupted, jolting to his feet and grabbing her arm and leading her out of the library. "Madam Pince is beginning to irritate me dreadfully."

Stumbling over her shoes in complete shock, the Ravenclaw wondered why Tom was suddenly so desperate to escape the looming bookshelves and the razor-sharp eyes of Madam Pince, who peered at them suspiciously over her long nose.

"Tom!" she hissed at him, after almost tripping over a crack in the stone floor. "What are you doing –?"

"Nothing," he snapped back. "I just want to get out of here, that's all."

The tense atmosphere between the two disappeared, however, once they had both left the library and were pacing peacefully down the corridors. They never spoke of anything more of the awkward moment between them, and dismissed it almost as if it hadn't happened.

Princesa preferred it that way. _Rather to keep uncomfortable issues to ourselves then to talk about them, _she decided. _That way, things are left unsaid and we save further embarrassment. _

She was broken away from her thoughts, however, by the sound of loud, piteous wails coming from the hall in front of them. Without question, it was obviously a girl, and she sounded very upset – who_ever _she was. The two of them stopped in their tracks and exchanged glances.

"Who _is _that?" Princesa asked.

Tom shook his head with a tiny shrug. "I don't have a clue," he admitted in a bored voice. "It can't be anything of concern. Come on, let's go."

Yet, as they passed the entrance to the girl's bathroom, the howls and sobs became unbearable to their ears and they had to cover them up to avoid a headache later on. Princesa squeezed her eyes shut, cursing lightly in Spanish.

A string of spiteful words billowed out from the bathroom, reaching their attention despite the fact that their hands were practically glued to their earlobes. Princesa turned and frowned at the horrible voice – who sounded none other than a second girl.

"Oh, cry-baby! Stupid, _moaning_ cry-baby! What's the matter? Afraid you'll make us all be sick at the sight of your miserable face?" She exploded into cruel chuckles. "Stupid baby – always crying!"

Princesa could stand it no longer. If there was nothing that she could never bear to withstand, it was the torment of another; especially when they were too upset, or weak, or frightened to fight back.

_She's got some nerve, that **vaca, **_she thought, clenching her teeth.

"Oh...come on, Tom," she snarled, whirling on her heel and marching back into the bathroom, hearing the mournful sobbing becoming ever louder at her bully's comments. "We can't let her talk to people like that!"

Tom rolled his eyes, but he didn't move. He really hadn't intended on being the peacemakers in this situation, and had only wished to get away from people like that. Something, secretly inside him agreed with the rude, name-calling student.

_She's right, _he told himself, turning away and pulling out the creases in his robes. _She **is** a worthless cry-baby. Tears are the signs of weakness. I have no time for her._

So he stood where he was, staring at the wall.

Princesa found herself sending forth her army into the bathroom alone, although this didn't cloud her rage. "Hey, you!" she roared, stomping over towards the girl like an angry rhino and, grabbing her by the shoulder, pulled her around to stare into her mean face. "What do you think you're doing – calling people names like that!"

The girl (who Princesa noticed had the crest of Slytherin imprinted onto the breast of her robes) had short red hair clipped below her earlobes, giving her rather goblin-like features. Her small, squinty eyes – filled with malice – were a murky, lime green. She had freckles splattered all over her turned-up nose, and she glared at Princesa as if she had just crawled out of the nearest gutter.

"Who are _you_?" she asked viciously, looking her up and down with a sneer.

"It doesn't matter," Princesa spat, hearing the victim's wails quieten down a little. "Why are you teasing that girl? Leave her alone! Can't you see she's upset?"

The Slytherin girl, Olive Hornby, smirked at the reply and threw her interrogator a dirty look. "I don't see why this should have anything to do with _you_," she retorted back, folding her arms and grinning out of the side of her face. "Don't you have some books to drool over, or something?"

Princesa blinked, her heart pounding furiously in her head. She felt her hands trembling from rage. How could anyone be so _arrogant_? She suddenly felt a sudden desire to sock her one. However, she knew that she did not have the right kind of strength or nerve to do something like that. It was more like something that Esterella would do.

"You're as bad as _her _in there," Olive scoffed, tilting her head in the direction of an occupied cubicle. "Too damn clever for her own good – glasses almost as big as her brain." She giggled at her own remark.

"Well, you shouldn't call people names," said the Ravenclaw coldly. "Especially if it makes her upset –"

"Oh, she's _always _upset about _everything_!" Olive groaned, rolling her eyes, looking as if she were battling the urge to scream with irrepressible laughter. "You only have to say she's a little bit on the spotty side –" (at that moment, from inside the cubicle came a low, despondent moan) "and it's like the garden sprinklers have just been set off, or something! She's so much fun to tease. You'll always get a reaction!"

Princesa's mouth fell open. "You're horrid!" she barked, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "You're nothing but a big, cowardly bully!"

The girl rolled her eyes up into her head with a callous smirk, as if she couldn't have cared less.

_I really **will **hit her! _Princesa suddenly thought wildly, Olive's smug face burning behind her lids and bringing her heart to explode into monstrous flames. She felt them licking her face and burning them into crimson rage. _I really will let her have it, the spiteful, evil _–

"And what on earth is going on in here?" came Vanessa's dry voice, as she poked her head around the corner with a raised eyebrow. Scott stood right beside her, the pair of them with folded arms and carrying serious, stone-faced expressions.

"Nothing," said Olive quickly. "Just having a little girly chat whilst we relieve ourselves, prefects."

"Enough of your cheek, Hornby," Scott ordered, in his cool, calm voice of purest fury.

Princesa brushed away her enraged thoughts of bringing pain upon Olive's evil little freckled nose and turned towards the seventh years. "She was teasing a girl in that cubicle," she explained, pointing to it, her hands still shaking slightly. "She was crying horribly – I had to see what was going on!"

"Stop lying," sneered the Slytherin, rolling her green eyes with relish. "I was attempting to cheer her up! I came in here and she was crying, so I wanted to make her feel better, that's all."

"_You're _the liar!"

"Prove it."

"That's enough of that!" yelled Vanessa, breaking into the argument. "Let's all take you to somewhere quiet where we can discuss this like adults – and, oi! You!" she hollered, marching over to the cubicle of misery and pounding her fist on it. "Come on, get out of there – we have to sort this out!"

"Go away!" sniffed the girl, her voice choked and teary.

Vanessa's temper began to bubble and she banged harder, causing echoes to vibrate around the whole bathroom. "Get out. Now!"

"Come on, girls," offered Scott, ushering Princesa and Olive out of the way of the sinks and hard titled walls, so they could do no damage to each other. "Let's go –come on! And stop shoving each other – for God's sakes, let go of her hair!" he screamed at Olive, who had spitefully yanked at a piece of Princesa's waist long auburn strands.

Princesa had also noticed that Tom was nowhere to be seen.

However, once all of the party had left the bathroom, Tom peered in, his attention suddenly directed to one of the perfectly crafted sink taps, made out of copper lead metal, and inscribed and built into the shape of a serpent, fangs gleaming and a malevolent hiss springing from its mouth.

_Hmmm, _Tom pondered, raising an eyebrow. _Interesting. _

And on that thought, he scooped the library book from the inside of his bag and opened it to the page that Princesa had caught him at, tracing his finger over the words and giving the serpent-shaped tap another long, pensive stare. A small smile crossed his face as he headed back towards his common room, looking quite pleased with himself.

_**Very** interesting._

-oOo-

Spanish Dictionary

**_vaca: _**cow


	7. Awaking Memories

**Disclaimer: **All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The character Stuart Barnley belongs to me.

-oOo-

**Chapter 7 – Awaking Memories**

Thankfully, everything became civilized a while later, after the catfight had been torn apart. Luckily, none of the girls desired for their hair to be in clumps on the floor, and they had agreed to clam down. Vanessa and Scott – having the power of Prefects – told them that if they hadn't settled down they would deduct an obscene amount of House Points.

"You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves," scolded Scott, in a voice that reminded Princesa very much of her father. _I feel like a child..._she blushed crimson and said nothing.

Olive rolled her eyes. "I said I was sorry," she groaned with a yawn.

"It's lucky we don't deduct points for your behaviour," Vanessa added coldly, for some reason glaring very hard into Princesa's eyes when she said so, as if she blamed her for all of this. "Although we'll let you off this time."

"Try to keep your tempers under control, _ladies,_" Scott remarked in mock humour, finally linking his arm with his girlfriend's and talking together as they walked down the hall on duty. Princesa caught the words "unbelievable" and "immature" as they disappeared.

She frowned and whirled on Olive. "Well, thank you _very _much," she spat with irony.

Olive merely smirked. "You're welcome," she sneered. "but I'd keep it in mind that we only got into trouble because you just _had _to put your big nose in my business." She glanced over at Myrtle in the corner, who sat squatted on the floor, playing with the ends of her pigtails mournfully.

"Just leave her alone from now on," growled Princesa out of the corner of her mouth. "and I won't in the future."

Olive rolled her green eyes. "Ooh, I'm scared."

A loud _sniff _came from the corner. Princesa's attention diverted to Myrtle, who sighed miserably and then stared down the hall at passers by, looking away when they glanced back. The Ravenclaw couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She chewed on her lip as she watched Olive get to her feet.

"I'd love to stick around, but I'm not that bored," smirked the girl, tucking her red hair back behind her ears and throwing a hidden glare at the huddled student in the corner, looking like someone had just dumped a bundle of clothes on the ground. And with that, she stormed off before Princesa could say anything back.

It was a short while before Princesa came to her senses and let her eyes wander over the stone corridor, feeling ill. All she could think about at that moment was teaching that Hornby girl a lesson she would never forget.

_She can't do this to others, _she fumed in her head, tapping her foot against the floor. _One day she's going to be sorry that she ever picked on that girl. One day, she will. _

Her attention then drifted to Myrtle, who she saw had taken to wiping the tears away from her cheeks, smearing them against her stringy hair. Cautiously and not wanting to seem intimidating, she walked over and sat down next to her, playing uncomfortably with the hem of her robes.

"Um, Myrtle?" she asked quietly.

The girl spun around, and now Princesa could see her face for the first time. Her black hair hung around her face, concealing her dark brown eyes. They were rimmed red with past tears – or at least what Princesa could see of them, anyway – and were on the verge of dripping more. A few freckles dotted her nose and cheeks (Princesa was too polite to ask if they _were _freckles or not because she was sure they were spots), and spectacles hung from the bridge of her nose.

"What do you want?" she sniffed, turning away.

"I'm sorry for what happened," Princesa said in a small, reassuring voice. "I was only trying to help."

At her words, Myrtle didn't say anything for a while. Then, seconds later, broke down into a new bout of tears, moaning softly in her throat and staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry!" said Princesa in alarm, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What did I say?"

"Oh, _sure _you were just trying to help!" growled the girl through her weeps, her tone taking on one of anger now. "Everyone _always _says that...at first. Then the next thing I know, they're teasing me, or calling me names...stupid, Muggleborn, worthless, moaning Myrtle!" she burst into tears again, wiping them on the backs of her hands.

The Ravenclaw stared at her, stunned for a moment. "But I was just –"

"Don't act like you're sorry for me," she sighed, turning away from her. "I know you don't really care. You've just come over to make fun of me."

"No, I haven't!" Princesa explained, looking down over Myrtles tear-soaked robes and seeing the Hufflepuff crest branded there, concealed beneath the baggy scrunches. "I'm just trying to cheer you up! I defended you back there when Olive called you spotty...I'm just –"

Myrtle let loose a long howl here, as if she had just been injured. She buried her head in her hands and got to her feet, running as fast as she could down the hall, sobbing all the way. Other students gasped in astonishment at seeing how distressed she was (or perhaps because she almost ran into some of them).

Blushing, Princesa scrambled to her feet and gathered her books, trying to ignore the accusing stares of the others in the corridor, boring their eyes into her back.

"Oh, she's impossible," she murmured to herself, mostly for defence.

-oOo-

Back in the Ravenclaw common room, Princesa pondered over some early Transfiguration notes, in preparation for her next lesson. However, she couldn't concentrate. No matter how she didn't keep wanting to, usually around some time in the day her mind would wander to thoughts of Esterella, and her condition.

Princesa secretly felt guilty when she thought about her. She had been so busy catching up with Tom lately that she hadn't visited her friend in ages. She couldn't remember the last time – it must have been at least a week ago, maybe more.

What was wrong with her? Why didn't she feel like going _every single day _like some of her friends were? _Maybe I really **don't **care, _she thought, rolling her eyes. She scribbled down a few more notes.

_Wait. What am I thinking? Of **course **I care! I **must **care! _

She looked up from her parchment to see Harriet scribbling something down, then growling and screwing it up in her fist, throwing it over her shoulder. Somehow it didn't seem to lighten the girl's mood by seeing someone else with a problem.

_Sometime today, I'll go, _she told herself, jotting down sketches of a cow transforming into a milk jug. _I swear it. _

-oOo-

"_Students! When I call out your name, please come up and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Then, you will be sorted into your houses."_

_Princesa twiddled her fingers nervously in front of her, staring around at all of the other students' strange, unfamiliar faces. She tried to feel slightly encouraged by Professor Flatterwock's calm words – after all, it sounded so simple. Just walk up to the stool, sit there and have some hat plonked on your head. _

_No big deal, right?_

"_Barnes, Danielle!" called out Flatterwock. _

_Princesa heard a small gasp emit from her right, and turning there, she saw a young looking girl with frightened blue eyes walk up to the stand and sit there. Princesa fidgeted on the spot, gazing around at all of the other students, trying to guess herself what houses that they were going to be in. However, when some students caught her eye she looked away, afraid that they were doing the same._

"_RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat, and Danielle sighed happily and went to join the Ravenclaw table._

_**Ravenclaw...**thought Princesa. **I wouldn't mind being there – I wish that was me, then I would **know** already!** She clapped along with the others as she saw the girl accept her place at the table, feeling sick inside. Why couldn't she be next?_

"_Barnley, Stuart!"_

_A freckled boy with matted black hair swallowed his pride and stepped bravely up to the stand, sitting down on the stool. _

_Princesa looked back at Danielle, perched on her table and beaming with pride. The girl now nervously looked around at the rest of the students in the Great Hall, all clumped together like sardines in a small tin. How many first years **were** there in here? How long would it take to get through them **all?** _

"_GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and Stuart leapt off of the stool, looking extremely pleased with himself. _

_Princesa didn't really seem to be paying much attention anymore. She simply stood there, silently telling her heart to slow down and for her hands to stop shaking. She slipped them into the pockets of her robes, hopefully to find something there to fiddle with...but there was nothing. _

"_Bishop, Rosa!"_

"_RAVENCLAW!" _

"_Cooper, Mandy!"_

_A tall, mean-looking girl with long, black hair pushed her way through the ground; accidentally stepping on Princesa's toe (at least, she **hoped** it was accidental). Princesa opened her mouth in a silent cry, wincing. _

"_SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried as it sat on Mandy's head. _

_**Not surprised,** Princesa grumbled, as she mulled the pain away. _

"_Dickinson, Coralie!"_

"_HUFFLEPUFF!"_

"_Duisternis, Jessica!"_

_Princesa spotted over the decreasing crowd a rather tall, fresh-faced looking girl, with auburn curls bouncing behind her shoulders as she got up to sit on the stool. She smiled pleasantly and snuggled into the hat as it was fit onto her head. _

_This was the first time that morning that the hat had seemed to ponder so hard. It must have been on Jessica's head for more than a minute, before the hat suddenly cried out: _

"_SLYTHERIN!"_

_**What**! Despite herself, Princesa felt her jaw drop to the ground. **How could **she** be sorted into Slytherin? She doesn't even look that bad!** She turned to look at the reaction to everyone else there, but it was mostly whispers and nudges to one another. Someone made a small, choking noise. _

_It was then that Princesa spotted another girl, and her reaction could have made the girl **swear** that she was looking into a mirror. This student was staring, wide-mouthed at Jessica, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "It's unbelievable, isn't it?" she whispered._

_Princesa didn't think that she was talking to her. "Sorry?" she murmured quietly, just in case she **was**. _

"_I just...didn't see **that** coming. It makes you wonder what it has in store for **us**." She chuckled dryly, turning and shining her blue eyes into Princesa's. _

_Princesa shifted uncomfortably. "Um...yeah."_

"_I'm Esterella, by the way," she said now, with a smile, shaking Princesa's hand. "What's your name?"_

"_Err, Princesa," she laughed, smiling back, hearing Furneaux, Jack become another Slytherin and Hart, Deborah make Gryffindor. "I'm sorry...I **know** I must look nervous. My **momia** said that if I don't get into a decent house I'll never hear the end of it."_

"_I know how you feel," laughed Esterella, tucking back strands of her blonde hair, clipped below her neck. "My parents are expecting me to get into a good house too; preferably Gryffindor. At least, that's what my dad wants – just like **he** was. He's sort of **sick**, now." The way that she said the last few words were a little disconcerting. Her eyes faded a little and she cast them to the floor._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Nah, don't be. He'll be fine."_

"_Hornby, Olive!"_

"_SLYTHERIN!"_

"_Hornswoggle, Myrtle!"_

"_HUFFLEPUFF!"_

"_Jewell, Esterella!"_

_The girl cursed. Her eyes darted about the room at first, as if looking for somewhere to run and escape. It couldn't be her next! However, in the end, she sighed. She gave a nervous grin at Princesa before making her way to the stage. _

"_Good luck," Princesa whispered. _

_She watched Esterella boldly climb the stairs and sit comfortably on the stool, and she couldn't help admiring her. She was being so brave! She wasn't sure what **she** would do when **her** name was called. Perhaps she would turn and run away, or pretend to be someone else. Yeah, that was it. When her name was called, she wouldn't go. _

_**Shut up**, she thought afterwards. **Do you honestly think that **everyone else** won't go up? And then you'll be the only one left? Come on, you silly cow. **_

"_RAVENCLAW!" she heard the hat yell to the others, and Esterella's face collapsed into relief. She looked as if she had been holding her breath for the last two minutes, but she smiled when the growing applause came around the room. As her already trembling knees managed to carry her down the stairs, she spotted Princesa clapping too. She grinned, and joined her table next to Danielle._

_Princesa watched her enviously. She seemed so friendly and so brave...and now her turn was over. Oh, why, oh **why** couldn't she just get it **over** with? She tried to pay attention, but only a few names seemed to pass by her ears as she watched them join their tables. _

"_Lonton, Olivia!"_

"_RAVENCLAW!"_

"_Marshall, Phillip!"_

"_HUFFLEPUFF!" _

"_McLean, Luke!"_

"_SLYTHERIN!"_

_Princesa shifted from one foot to the other. 'M'. Flatterwock was in the 'M' section already. That meant that it would be **her** turn soon. She glanced nervously at the Sorting Hat on Luke McLean's head. What exactly did the hat do when it was sitting there? What **could** it do? Could it see deep inside her mind...know her deepest secrets?_

_**I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with this,** she told herself, just as she heard Flatterwock's clear, ringing voice, like the caw of an eagle, hit her directly in the face:_

"_Ozean, Princesa!"_

_**Damn!** Her mind was screaming. She glanced away, as if willing her body to move. **Move, damn you...move! You have to do this! **Eventually, her feet seemed willing and she nervously came forward, although she seemed to be taking her sweet time. She felt the other students' eyes on her as she perched herself on the stool and felt the hat slide over her head. Her legs were trembling. _

_She couldn't see a thing with the hat covering her eyes, only the inside material, brown, old and patchy. Then, she heard something – a voice – whispering in her ear. She shivered._

"_**Hmm. Yes, I see. Very interesting. A bright mind hidden away here...not often brought out. Hmmm...a little insecure, are we? I see...well, it will have to be**...RAVENCLAW!"_

_**Ravenclaw**...a gigantic flood of relief swept through her entire body, and it was only after she heard the echoing of applause around the tables that she realised she had been holding her breath. She let it out with a sigh and a smile on her blushing face. **I'm in Ravenclaw...**_

_She wasn't sure how she managed to make it down to her appropriate table, but she did, with her legs feeling as if they had been turned to jelly. However, before she could sit down, she felt Rosa Bishop wrap her arms around her housemate, beaming all over. _

"_Well done!" she grinned._

"_Great! I **knew** you'd get in here!" laughed Esterella, as a flustered Princesa parked herself next to her on the bench, sliding down a little for others to make room. "I just **knew** it!" She hugged her tight. "Congratulations!"_

"_Thanks," the girl said, smoothing down her robes from Rosa's previous crushing embrace. "Everyone here seems nice."_

"_Yeah," Esterella agreed, her blue eyes shining around the table with excitement and determination. "I think we're going to enjoy being here."_

"_Powis, Regen!"_

_Much talking and rapid conversation swarmed across the table at that moment, particularly between Princesa, Esterella and a few other girls who had squatted together in a first-year clump. They spoke a lot of their families, and how much that they were looking forward to studying magic. _

"_Hey, did you hear that?" Rosa declared over the rush of rising applause. "Someone else has just been sorted into Ravenclaw!"_

_They smiled and greeted the nervous looking young boy who had just joined them. His brown hair circled his face and he grinned politely, sliding next to Princesa on the bench. He was almost immediately attacked by a group of first-years who came to congratulate him for getting in. _

"_You got the **best** house!" Esterella laughed to him._

_He clasped his hands together, in a bid to stop them from trembling. He was still willing his nerves to relax after the ordeal on the stool. He returned her smile. "We'll see," he joked._

_Regen was immediately introduced and welcomed by others, and after calming down after his sorting, was starting to open up a little. It always felt like this, for some reason. Anxiety seemed to be the biggest problem, but after the first initial greeting, things seemed so much easier. _

_Princesa found herself respecting the older students for making them feel this way. _

_Through the constant whispering, Princesa found herself paying attention to the Sorting Ceremony again, this time watching other unfortunate students whose faces turned chalk white when their names were called. _

"_Prewett, Richard!"_

"_GRYFFINDOR!"_

"_Riddle, Tom!"_

_Esterella turned to speak to her new housemate, but noticed that she wasn't paying attention to anyone. "Oi!" she whispered, playfully, poking her in the ribs. She laughed when the girl returned the favour, and found herself staring at the boy on the stool now, with raven black hair and a steady stride. He seemed genuinely calm – and was one of the first to be so. _

"_SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted, and the boy went to join his fellow Slytherin's, who all shook his hand and clapped him on the back. _

"_Trocken, Drew!"_

"_RAVENCLAW!"_

"_Yates, Lorna!"_

"_HUFFLEPUFF!"_

_The last few students were almost cleared through and sorted. The new Ravenclaw, Drew, marched over to the table with a triumphant gleam spreading all over his freckled face. His enthusiastic nature made everyone chortle and they greeted him warmly._

_Regen came up behind him and banged him on the back. _

"_Well, you seem mighty pleased with yourself!" he sniggered, humouring himself at Drew's wince and shaking his hand. "Good for you! Welcome to Ravenclaw."_

_Drew chuckled and ruffled his new housemate's hair in retaliation. "Thanks," he smiled. "I'm sure that I'll remember – and feel – this moment for always."_

-oOo-

"Hey! Princesa!" _Slam!_

Princesa jolted upright as if she had been electrocuted. She blinked, looking around the Transfiguration classroom, already half full with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, ready for their lesson. She cleared her throat and found herself staring into Danielle's concerned face, her hand on Princesa's desk.

"Oh...hi," she mumbled, collecting her books together.

"Are you okay?" her friend asked, raising an eyebrow. "You were a million miles away."

"Yeah, I was just...daydreaming."

"Daydreaming? About what?"

Princesa shook her head, staring out of the window. "Nothing."

"I bet she's thinking about _Tom _again," giggled Drew from behind his hand, muttering it under his breath. However, Princesa heard him, and she swung around to gaze at him, her cheeks blazing.

"What does _that _mean?" she asked, in a rather high-pitched voice.

Drew peered from behind his hiding place and gave her a knowing look, smirking at the blush creeping across her face. "You were considering taking him to the ball, weren't you?" he teased, battering his eyelashes. "Have you asked him yet?"

"No!" she hissed in embarrassment. "I only said that I was _thinking _about it –!"

"That's good enough for me," Drew sang in triumph, leaning back on his chair and crossing his hands behind his head. "I smell love in the air already!"

Princesa folded her arms, an eyebrow shooting up in question. "Speaking of which: how's Jess been lately, _Drewie_?"

Rosa smirked.

The cocky behaviour seemed to wear off on him at that moment. His freckles exploded across his face (brighter than before because of the heat in his cheeks) and he sat up straight, keeping his head down in his book, suddenly very interested in the diagrams of water goblets that lay on the pages. He didn't answer.

Professor Dumbledore still hadn't arrived to the lesson. Secretly, some of the students wondered what could be keeping him. It wasn't like Dumbledore to be late for a class. What could be wrong?

_Bang! _The door nearly came off its hinges as it collided into the wall. Everyone in the room jumped, glancing in the direction of the very puffed out student that had just barged in. No one said a word, although Deborah shot them a sour glare, wincing from the ringing in her ears.

Princesa gaped as Olivia, wheezing and grasping onto the table for support from running so fast slumped next to her desk. Her eyes were wide and full of urgency.

"Olivia?" Princesa gasped, dropping her quill pen. "God, are you all right?"

"Printhetha..." the girl panted, pulling up the shoulder of her robes that had slipped down during the sprint. "I...I ran...all the way..."

"We can see that," Drew said, rolling his eyes.

It was then that Olivia stared into Princesa's questioning eyes, the bright orbs swimming with so much seriousness that everyone knew – this _couldn't _be a joke. She bit her lip.

"Ith Ethie," she puffed, clutching the stitch in her side. "Sheth awake...! She woke up!"


End file.
